FIREARMS REGULATIONS MUST REFLECT RURAL REALITIES
- Steph Cooke MP
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke, is calling on the NSW Labor Government to thoroughly consult stakeholders before drafting any regulations concerning firearms and licence holders.
In December 2025, firearms legislation was rushed through the NSW Parliament without consultation with key bodies and without the support of the NSW Nationals.
These laws have been heavily criticised by primary producers, hunters, competitive shooters, and regional communities as poorly written and unworkable.
Last week, the Commonwealth government passed its own legislation, including a gun “buyback” scheme, which has caused further distress to law-abiding firearms owners.
However, the NSW Labor Government is yet to release the regulations that specify how the new laws will be enacted and enforced, allowing policymakers time to engage with stakeholders and rural communities.
“This firearms legislation is completely impractical for effective pest management, and the future of sport shooting in the state of NSW,” Ms Cooke said.
“Without regulations that reflect the realities of our rural communities, our volunteer gun clubs will face an impossible administrative burden, our licence holders will be forced to pay more for less, and our state’s biosecurity will be jeopardised.”
Ms Cooke recently held a roundtable in Junee, attended by representatives from Ardlethan Beckom Sporting Clays, Boorowa Clay Target Club, Cootamundra Pistol Club, Cootamundra Rifle Club, Ganmain Gun Club, Grenfell Gun Club, Junee Clay Target Gun Club, Junee Ex Service Memorial Rifle Club, Junee Pistol Club, SSAA West Wyalong Sporting Shooters, Temora Pistol Club, Ungarie Rifle Club, West Wyalong Clay Target, and West Wyalong Smallbore & Rifle Club.
Representatives, many of whom require firearms for agricultural or hunting purposes, in addition to sport shooting, highlighted the unworkable nature of the legislation while identifying ways in which the regulations could be written to work with firearms owners, rather than against them.
“These are the types of discussions that members of the NSW Government should be having to ensure the regulations are actually fit for purpose,” Ms Cooke said.
“No matter what your opinion is about firearms ownership, the new legislation will fail to work in practice unless the regulations address the glaring issues being raised by gun clubs and firearms owners.
"I want to thank the gun clubs of the Cootamundra electorate for their valuable insight and reaffirm my commitment to combating this poor legislation.”
Firearm caps
The legislation will limit recreational gun licence holders to a maximum of four firearms, and a maximum of ten firearms for primary producers, pest controllers, and sports or target shooters.
This is entirely unworkable and is further compounded by the law’s new mandate of gun club membership for all licence holders.
Different animals, including pest animals, require a particular calibre of firearms for humane management. Farmers and hunters may use one firearm for close-range pests and another for long distances. Some own two of the same calibre in case one is temporarily unusable and awaiting maintenance.
Many competitive shooters compete in multiple disciplines, each requiring a specific firearm type and are subject to strict competition rules.
“The firearms cap does not account for licence holders who require firearms for primary production, hunting, and or competition,” Ms Cooke said.
“If you add in that some firearms owners also have private, state and federal government contracts, this means some licenced shooters have 5 or even 6 genuine reasons, all of which require additional firearms.
“While we have heard of a potential exemption to the rules for elite shooters, how can someone train to become an ‘elite’ athlete if they can’t access the equipment they need?
“At the very least, the regulations must not restrict firearms owners to a ten-gun cap if they have multiple, genuine reasons listed on their licence.”
Mandatory club membership
Primary producers who had not previously been members of a gun club may be required to join one under the new laws.
This would involve paying an annual membership fee, acquiring new equipment to participate in competitions and competing in a minimum number of shoots each year, depending on the discipline, to meet their participation requirements.
“The new legislation penalises farmers far beyond restricting the number of firearms they can own,” Ms Cooke said.
“The laws fail to consider the tyranny of distance faced by primary producers who may live hours away from the nearest club, and the cost burden associated with participating in the sport, which they may have no interest in.
“On top of that, gun clubs are already experiencing an influx of membership inquiries, and they’re struggling to see how they can organise enough shoots to meet everyone’s participation requirements.”
Club resources
Rural gun clubs are predominantly run by volunteers with little administrative or financial support from the NSW Government.
With thousands of primary producers and hunters now required to join, the new laws create a significant administrative burden for clubs, which lack the manpower and facilities to cater to an influx of new members.
“The vetting process is a significant concern for clubs, who are yet to receive any advice from the NSW Government,” Ms Cooke said.
“There is no clarity about the consequences a club may face if a bad actor falls through the cracks, or if a member were to do the wrong thing while in possession of a firearm.
“The pressure of endless paperwork for compliance and new memberships could ultimately cause committee members to leave, and clubs to collapse.”
Across the Cootamundra electorate, many of the region’s gun clubs lack infrastructure that metropolitan clubs take for granted.
This includes dedicated female and disabled toilet facilities, room to accommodate an influx of competitors, and computer equipment and internet connection.
This reduces the ability of smaller clubs to host large enough shoots to meet everyone’s participation requirements, forcing volunteers to organise and host more frequent events.
NSW Firearms Registry
The new laws specify that firearms owners will now need to reapply for their licence every 2 years, instead of every five, adding another financial burden.
This means that the NSW Firearms Registry will receive approximately 900 more licence applications each week, raising significant concerns regarding turnaround times and the Registry’s capacity to adequately assess each application.
“The new 2-year renewal requirement will demand a greater investment in the NSW Firearms Registry, which means taking away funds from other areas of state importance,” Ms Cooke said.
“NSW can literally not afford the Government introducing these new laws until it can provide a transparent plan about how it intends to pay for them.”
Fate of heirloom and ceremonial firearms
Many firearms owners have inherited guns of sentimental value or possess firearms for ceremonial purposes, such as Light Horse troop members.
While most of these firearms are kept as collectors’ items and not fired, it is understood that these items will be subjected to the NSW Government’s new firearms cap.
“This is a devastating blow to many in possession of heirlooms, and who may be forced to choose between these sentimental items or keeping their tools of trade,” Ms Cooke said.
“These include firearms used by Australian soldiers in wars as early as the Boer War, passed down through the generations.
“Joining a collector’s club or decommissioning these items just so that they aren’t confiscated or ‘bought back’ by the federal Government, which never owned them in the first place, is not a solution for all, nor should it have to be.”
