NSW’s New Gun Laws: What Just Happened?

In Short

• Hard Ownership Caps: A new limit of four firearms for recreational shooters and 10 firearms for primary producers is now law.

• Increased Red Tape: Standard firearm license terms have been slashed from five years to two years, doubling renewal frequency and background checks.

• Recategorisation and Buyback: Many common firearms (straight-pull/lever-release) are moving to Category C, supported by a state and federal-funded buyback scheme.

In a marathon pre-Christmas session that stretched into the early hours of December 24, 2024, the NSW Parliament passed the most significant tightening of firearm legislation since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.

The Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 was fast-tracked by the Minns Government following the horrific Bondi Beach terrorist attack earlier that month.

While the government says the laws are about "community safety first," the news has sent shockwaves through regional NSW, with critics calling it a "knee-jerk reaction" that punishes law-abiding farmers and shooters.

The Core Changes: At a Glance

The new laws introduce a "cap and category" system designed to drastically reduce the number of firearms in circulation:

The Ownership Cap: A hard limit of four firearms per individual. Primary producers (farmers) have a higher cap of 10 firearms.

Recategorisation: Straight-pull, pump-action, and button/lever-release firearms are moved to Category C, making them much harder for recreational shooters to access.

Licence Terms Slashed: Standard firearm licences have been cut from five years down to two years, doubling the red tape and background checks for owners.

Mandatory Club Membership: All licence holders must now belong to a gun club and use the GunSafe online platform.

Citizenship Requirement: Licences are now restricted to Australian citizens (with some exceptions for NZ residents in specific roles).

The Buyback: A state and federal-funded buyback scheme will be launched to compensate owners for newly prohibited firearms.

The View from the Paddock: Peak Orgs React

The reaction from representative bodies has been swift and largely scathing.

NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin slammed the legislation as "unworkable."

The association argues that the 10-gun cap fails to account for large-scale operations where multiple properties require dedicated equipment for pest control.

"It’s incredible this government has allowed generous capping exemptions for recreational shooters but for farmers... the government hasn’t given us a second’s thought," Martin said.

The Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (SSAA) has also condemned the "chaotic" reforms.

SSAA CEO Tom Kenyon argued that the laws wouldn't have prevented the Bondi tragedy, noting that existing "fit and proper person" checks should have caught the offender if intelligence sharing had been better.

Voice from the Electorates: Dalton and Butler

Independent MPs representing the state's most expansive rural electorates led the charge against the Bill in Parliament.

Member for Murray Helen Dalton did not mince words, labelling the move as the government’s "greyhound moment," referring to the backlash that toppled a previous government over a racing ban.

"We have close to 10,000 law-abiding firearms owners in Murray... None of them have behaved like terrorists, but they are being treated like they are."

Ms Dalton argues that regional people are being made "scapegoats" for a failure in urban intelligence.

Member for Barwon Roy Butler, a former SSAA executive, attempted to amend the Bill to "grandfather" existing owners and split the protest laws from the firearm changes to allow for a committee inquiry.

He described the laws as an "overreach" that ignores the real drivers of the attack, such as radicalisation and poor intelligence sharing.

Mr Butler warns the two-year renewal cycle will put an "impossible burden" on already over-worked regional police who process these applications.

What’s Next?

The government is now moving toward a comprehensive audit of all existing licences.

For those in the bush, the "buyback" details and the logistical nightmare of two-year renewals are the next big hurdles.