The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on Christchurch masjidain identified that the firearms system in New Zealand needed to improve. The government announced in November 2021 that a dedicated firearms unit would be established in Police to take over firearms regulatory activities.
Te Tari Pūreke – Firearms Safety Authority, is a Branded Business Unit within Police and was launched on 30 November 2022. Te Tari Pūreke is responsible for delivering a more efficient and effective risk-based arms control system.
In Budget 2022, to support firearms administration and regulatory activities, the government allocated $208 million of ring-fenced funding, the first ring fenced funding for firearms administration in New Zealand. This ring fenced funding will ensure that the full arms regulatory system is funded to deliver on the purposes of the Arms Act, which are to promote the safe possession and use of firearms and other weapons; and impose controls on their possession and use. The $208 million funded in Budget 2022 is for the first four years of an 11 years funding model for Te Tari Pūreke and will be used to establish the regulator, develop and manage the firearms registry, and resource the regulator to establish new teams and functions to better assist us working with the firearms community.
One of the key aims for Te Tari Pūreke since establishment has been the development and implementation of the registry, which went live on 24 June 2023, and is intended to be fully populated with specified arms items by June 2028.
The other major aim for Te Tari Pūreke since establishment has been uplifting our team capabilities, hiring new staff, delivering better training, and implementing innovative new risk based approaches to processing licensing activities. Te Tari Pūreke knows that the expected peak demand for firearms licences is projected to be in 2026, and our teams are being established to be resourced to meet this demand.
The documents in this proactive release relate to the process Police has undertaken to scope what an independent authority could be, the options considered, how a new entity will be financed, the costings involved in each option, and includes the government decisions on the establishment of the branded business unit (Te Tari Pūreke).
Included within this release are the Indicative Business Case and Detailed Business Case, Cabinet papers, and ministerial briefings relating to the development and establishment of Te Tari Pūreke.
Certain information in the documents has been withheld under one or more of the following sections of the Official Information Act 1982:
- Section 9(2)(a) to protect the privacy of natural persons.
- Section 9(2)(f)(iv) where the withholding of the information is necessary to maintain the constitutional conventions for the time being which protect the confidentiality of advice tendered by Ministers of the Crown and officials.
- Section 9(2)(g)(i) where the withholding of the information is necessary to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the free and frank expression of opinions by or between or to Ministers of the Crown or members of an organisation or officers and employees of any public service agency or organisation in the course of their duty.
For further information relating to fees and cost recovery please refer to the Proactive release of papers: Arms Regulations Review of Fees 2022.