Police minister calls for review of gel blaster regulations

A spike in alleged criminal activity involving a toy has prompted the Police Minister into action.

M4A1 Gel Blaster has expanded its operations into Morayfield Shopping Centre and has more planned across Queensland.

Police Minister Mark Ryan has made a request to tighten regulations on gel blaster guns after recent incidents in Queensland.

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One of the country’s biggest distributors of the lifelike toy guns, M4A1, sparked community concern after it opened its fifth store nationally in the Morayfield Shopping Centre three months ago.

It comes after Queensland Police charged three men who allegedly used the guns to shoot up Stanthorpe State High School on May 15, the day after a Toowoomba woman was allegedly ‘shot’ in the stomach.

M4A1 Gel Blaster Morayfield Shopping Centre store opened three months ago.

Blasters were made legal in this state last year after they were deemed a “projectile toy” following a magistrate’s decision because they are not capable of discharging bullets.

They therefore do not require a licence to own.

“I have raised this issue with the Police Commissioner and I understand the Queensland Police Service is considering whether any regulations can be changed following the court decision that these items are toys,” Mr Ryan said.

Queensland Minister for Police and Minister for Corrective Services has called for tighter regulations for gel blasters. (AAP Image/Darren England)

“That being said, there are current laws in place which carry heavy penalties for anyone who uses any item including toys or replica firearms in a menacing, threatening or offensive way.”

South Australia has also legalised gel blasters, but they are banned in NSW and Victoria. WA is undecided.

In Queensland it is a criminal offence to carry a replica weapon in public — punishable by up to multiple years’ in jail and significant fines.

Acting Moreton District Superintendent, Inspector Paul Ready said his officers had been told to be wary.

“It comes down to the fact they’re not illegal at the moment,” Insp Ready said.

“The way people can see them may cause concern, but we haven’t had any concern other than the fact they do look quite real.

“They fire a gel pellet with a similar composition of a nappy when it’s wet. When you add water it swells up and that’s the pellet — they’re fairly innocuous in what they fire.”

Inspector Glenn Doyle with Gel Blasters that were seized by the Townsville Police in 2018.

Residents raised concerns with the Herald after mistaking the gel blasters for real guns on display and in eyesight of children at Morayfield Shopping Centre.

M4A1 business operations manager Kelso Ripia said employees are trained not to sell to suspicious individuals and that safety is paramount.

“What happens when an individual comes in, they’re not allowed to walk out with (a gel blaster) unless it’s covered in a box,” he said.

“If they don’t come in with a box, we supply a black bag to keep it safe.

“We have protection in terms of safety gear; glasses, face masks, helmets and padding comes in the box.”

M4A1 has stores in Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, Adelaide and now Morayfield. Mr Ripia said it had plans to expand stores in Wynnum, Ipswich and north Queensland.

A gel blaster sold online by Renegade Blasters

“Gel fields”, which are paintball-style arenas where children and adults can play skirmishes, have been operating locally for more than five years.

Donnybrook Gel Ballers’ 50 acre property in the Moreton Bay region was one of the first gel fields to open in Australia when David Blaik and Kristy Thorne opened in 2013.

Head referee Kam Iqar Ze (Kamikaze) said their eldest customer is 82 and their youngest just had her fifth birthday.

“We have a mix of people, more kids than adults,” he said. “first time kids coming to try and adults who have been playing for a few years, casual and serious players.”

Mr Blaik and Ms Thorne have 20 years experience in the paintball industry and while there are limited state government regulations in place for gel fields, they have based the business on paintball guidelines.