Why Gympie gun dealer says new state firearm amnesty laws will backfire

Outspoken Gympie gun dealer says the Queensland Government’s decision to change its gun amnesty laws will instead lead to less illegal guns being handed in

Gympie gun dealer and shooting advocate Ron Owen says changes to Queensland’s gun amnesty laws will backfire and cause more illegal weapons to stay on the streets.

Gympie gun dealer and shooting advocate Ron Owen has fired up at the state government’s changed firearm amnesty laws, which he says will lead to a huge drop in the number of illegal “grey” guns being handed in.

Mr Owen said the last time an amnesty was held his shop, Owen Guns, received about 2600 guns over the three month period..

But due to changes in July last year to the Queensland Weapons Act 1990, he said the figure would plummet during once the state’s new permanent begins on July 1.

“We’ll be lucky to get a quarter of that (over the same period),” Mr Owen said.

“They’ll stay in people’s sheds.”

In previous years’ amnesties, people with unregistered guns could take them to a dealer who, depending on whether the owner wanted to register the weapon under their own licence or simply get rid of it, could handle the paperwork and legalities in store.

“In past amnesties we would be able to do that on the spot,” Mr Owen said.

Mr Owen says about 2600 illegal guns would normally be handed in during an amnesty period under the old laws. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)

“The person would be able to go away with the legalised firearm on their licence – that was the advantage.”

He said the legislation changes now meant firearms surrendered anonymously had to be taken to a police station, at the dealers’ expense.

Mr Owen said the model offered “no incentive” for people to turn unregistered firearms in.

Shooters Union president Graham Park said the model was an accident waiting to happen.

“The entire point of an amnesty is that people can anonymously surrender things they’re not supposed to have, no questions asked, and with an iron-clad guarantee there will be no repercussions,” Mr Park said.

Shooters Union president Graham Park has slammed changes to firearm amnesty laws.

“This amnesty effectively makes that impossible, and will cost dealers huge sums of money processing anonymously surrendered guns and then having to act as unpaid secure transport couriers to transfer them to a police station.

“A truly anonymous amnesty without direct frontline police involvement is vital for ensuring people with unregistered guns can do the right thing without fear of future repercussions.”

Mr Park said the Police Minister and Weapons Licensing Branch were aware of the problem with the legislation and had made genuine efforts to fix it, to no avail.

Mr Owen says dealers will be expected to transport the guns to the police – and cover the cost.

“Everyone involved, with the apparent exception of some staff in the particular police branch which drafts legislation for parliamentary implementation, agrees the previous Queensland amnesty model is the gold standard and wants to see it implemented on a permanent basis,” he said.

Minister Mark Ryan’s office and Queensland Police have been contacted for comment.

Mr Park said the new model, which starts on July 1, would also add to the workload of frontline police.

“Guns are a specialist subject and frontline police have considerably more important operational matters to be devoting their time to than processing paperwork for someone’s grandad’s rusty old single-shot .22 rifle,” he said.

Mr Owen said many of the “grey” firearms that were handed in during the amnesty periods dated back before the laws were changed in 1997.

It was not uncommon for people to hand weapons in that had been found sitting in the shed of a family member who died, he said.