From the shadows of the Port Arthur tragedy in 1996, all Australian governments came together to strengthen our gun laws with a National Firearms Agreement. Changes at the time saw the banning of automatic and semi-automatic guns and a national buyback of firearms.
Since then, we have continued to advocate for firearm safety. In recent years, governments have been pressured to allow more firearms into Australia, make firearms easier to obtain, and to water down elements of the National Firearms Agreement.
There are now more firearms in Australia than prior to Port Arthur.
In 2017 all governments reaffirmed their commitment to the National Firearms Agreement which sets minimum requirements for the management of firearms in States and Territories, and it is our ongoing mission to advocate for responsible, safe and strong state and federal gun laws.
28 years after Port Arthur, not a single jurisdiction is fully compliant with the National Firearms Agreement.
As of April 2024, the Federal Government has committed $161.3 million in funding to implement the National Firearms Register – the final piece of the Firearms Agreement puzzle, which was promised but never implemented. This monumental milestone comes after nearly 30 years of campaigning, but it is proposed to take up to four years to implement across all states and territories.
We are proud to be a founding member of the Australian Gun Safety Alliance which is bringing balance to the firearms debate in Australia by speaking up in support of firearm safety and raising public awareness about this important issue.
We will also continue to be a voice to all governments on policy, legislation, and regulation matters relating to firearms. We will resist all efforts to water down or undermine the National Firearms Agreement – ensuring our gun laws remain responsible, safe and strong.
