There has been a win for farmers in the war on pest animals, with the NSW government set to legalise category D firearms for specially licensed shooters, including primary producers.
NSW Deputy Premier Paul Toole announced in Budget Estimates yesterday that he would introduce legislation to undo the 'inadvertent' prohibition caused by a NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) ruling in 2020.
"I have worked closely with industry to create a permanent and practical solution for the estimated 500 category D licence holders who were affected by [the] determination," Mr Toole said.
Most category D firearms were prohibited by NCAT's ruling, which limited licence holders to just seven eligible weapons. Six of these have not been manufactured locally for decades.
Related reading: Cat D firearm regulations comes under fire
The announcement comes following calls from local farmers for category D firearms reform, a campaign covered extensively by The Land. Recently improved seasonal conditions have provided ideal breeding ground for wild dogs and pigs, however, The Land can reveal Mr Toole will seek introduce the legislation in May to help control the rising number of vertebrate pest animals sooner.
"The rise in wild pig numbers, among other pest animals, highlights the importance of firearms as a necessary tool of trade for many of our landholders," Mr Toole said.
"These firearms have been legally imported or manufactured locally and can be used to control pest species in Queensland and Victoria, and these proposed legislative amendments strike the right balance to ensure farmers and pest animal controllers have the same access to these firearms."
Mr Toole will also look to reform the current 12-month maximum permit period for category D licences by providing additional two- and five-year options.
The state's peak body NSW Farmers was among those calling for reform with CEO Pete Arkle welcoming the announcement as promising for farmers.
"They need access to tools of trade that are fit for purpose to ensure they can undertake their work in the safest way - for both the licence holder and the animals being culled," Mr Arkle said.
Under the state's gun laws, category D weapons include self-loading centre-fire rifles, self-loading rimfire rifles with a magazine capacity of more than 10 rounds, self-loading shotguns, pump action shotguns and lever action shotguns with a magazine capacity of more than five rounds, as well as any firearm to which a category C licence applies.
Category D firearm licences continue to be tightly controlled, and self-loading centre fire rifles designed or currently adapted for military purposes remain prohibited.
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