More weapons licences issued as number of guns being registered in Queensland keeps rising

THE number of registered guns in Queensland has increased at a rate of more than 110 every day for four years.

Queensland’s strong legal firearms ownership culture is growing annually.

THE number of registered guns in Queensland has increased by more than 110 every day for four years.

Documents released under Right to Information reveal there were 792,397 registered firearms in Queensland in mid-2016, up from 617,424 in mid-2012.

The number of Queensland weapons licences jumped from 159,920 in mid-2012 to 189,904 by mid-2016 – an increase of nearly 30,000 licences over four years.

In response to the figures, Police Minister Mark Ryan said the State Government had taken a strong stance on ­ensuring “responsible gun ownership”.

“Queensland has a strong legal firearms ownership culture, which grows steadily on a yearly basis,” he said.

“It also has a robust and vigilant firearm ownership scheme, oversighted by the Queensland Police Weapons Licensing Branch.

“The vast majority of firearm users in Queensland are responsible and we need to ensure that any policies reflect the diverse needs and interests of key stakeholders, such as sporting and recreational shooters, victims of crime, weapons dealers and the agricultural sector.”

Sporting Shooters’ Association of Australia national president Geoff Jones said there was no reason for the wider public to be surprised by the increased number of registered firearms.

“All of those firearms are registered individually and they’re registered to licensed shooters who have already been checked and double- checked and triple-checked by the police,” he said.

Mr Jones said the sport of shooting had become “quite popular” among families.