Gun Buyback Scheme: Number Listed For Disposal Doubles To Nearly 5k In A Week

Hundreds of gun owners have already surrendered firearms in just the first week of the NSW National Gun Buyback Scheme, with the total listed for surrender doubling in just a week.

525 guns have been collected in the first week, and the number of guns listed for disposal has almost doubled – from 2500 to 4700 – in the week since the program started.

The scheme officially opened on November 2, and will run for a 12-month period to collect eligible firearms and ammunition affected by recent legislative reforms.

The buyback plan came in response to the Bondi Beach terror attack in December last year. NSW is the first state to commence the Commonwealth Government’s National Gun Buyback Scheme, with both governments sharing the costs of the buyback 50:50.

It was originally intended as a national effort but has now been limited to NSW and the ACT.

Biggest gun buyback in 30 years

The handover is the biggest gun buyback in 30 years since the historic 1996 Port Arthur reform.

Premier of NSW Chris Minns said, “There are more firearms in circulation in Australia today than there were before Port Arthur. We have made a deliberate decision to put community safety first by reducing the number of firearms in our community, and I make no apologies for that.”

The gun buyback policy is in phase 1 of its implementation. To surrender a firearm in Phase 1 of the Buyback scheme, a firearm licence holder must review their Gun Safe account to ensure their contact details and firearm record are up to date, then complete a Gun Buyback surrender application form through Gun Safe.

They will then receive a registration case number and surrender instructions to book a surrender appointment at a participating police station. If eligible, payment ranging from $450 to $1000 will be processed up to 10 days after the surrender is verified, depending on the gun type.

Firearms holders who wish to surrender their items are urged not to attend a police station with guns or ammunition without an appointment.

Phase 2 will commence early next year for higher value firearms. This will involve the handing in of higher-value guns worth between $3000 and $10,000.

‘Fewer guns in the community means a safer community’

NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley said that more than 4700 firearms were on their way to the six participating police stations across the state taking bookings for weapon and ammunition handover.

“Evidence shows that fewer guns in the community means a safer community, it’s that simple,” Catley said.

“On average, one legally owned, lawful gun is reported stolen every day to the NSW Police. Any gun can end up in the wrong hands which is why we introduced a suite of reforms to reduce risk, strengthen compliance and safeguards, and reduce the number of guns in our community.”

Buyback scheme criticised by opponents

Despite initially supporting the scheme in the immediate aftermath of the Bondi terror attacks, the Coalition has since spoken out frequently against the program.

NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane referred to the buybacks as a “PR exercise” while speaking on 2GB.

Sloane said, “The only guns that are coming back on this buyback are guns that are coming out of people’s safes… The majority of crimes on our street are conducted with guns that are not legal.”

“What would prevent Bondi is us being tough on terrorism, tough on the recruitment and radicalisation of young people in our suburbs of Sydney.”

NSW Greens MP and spokesperson for Justice Sue Higginson has voiced concerns in the other direction, saying the scheme urgently needs to be expanded.

“There are serious problems with the buyback,” said Higginson. “Every available appointment is already booked, yet only 2,430 firearms are scheduled for surrender out of a potential 274,000. The Government needs to urgently expand the capacity of the scheme.”