THE introduction of a new gun licensing system by the WA government has made the process longer and more difficult for country people.
Instead of being able to apply for a gun licence over the counter at their local police station, anyone wanting to purchase a gun must now wait for their application to be sent off to Perth for approval.
Application forms must be printed from the internet then presented at Australia Post along with supporting documents.
Guns cannot be taken into Australia Post for inspection, so applicants need to first acquire a firearm serviceability certificate from a licensed gun dealer, which can attract a fee.
If it is their first gun license they must also obtain a Firearm Awareness Certificate from an authorised person at an approved club or association to show they are able to handle a firearm safely and have received the necessary instruction.
The documents are then sent to the police firearms branch in Perth, who will then send the applicant a letter requiring a statutory declaration to be submitted.
Queries can only be made to a 1300 number which is only available weekdays from 8am to 4pm.
The new system will bring WA into line with the gun licensing systems in other states and provides more uniformity.
However shadow police minister Margaret Quirk said the system’s implementation had been a bureaucratic nightmare.
“The process is time consuming and especially difficult for those living in rural and remote Western Australia,” Ms Quirk said.
“There are many gun owners who are experiencing delays and frustration and it may well be that they will simply choose not to renew rather than get bogged down in what has become an overly cumbersome process.”
Merredin firearms dealer and rifle club member Michael Teasdale said the system made sense but had been annoying for local gun owners.
“It takes three to four weeks to get a firearm or additional firearm now, whereas before it could be done over the counter if you met the criteria,” Mr Teasdale said.
“So now, the same gun that you used to be able to get in one day will take up to a month to get.
“What’s more, when they brought these new laws in they didn’t provide adequate information to owners or dealers – we were left to figure it out for ourselves.
“As a result, people are getting mixed up and submitting forms that are not filled out correctly which results in further delays.”
He said the new system would not necessarily prevent guns from falling into the wrong hands.
“By taking the licensing system away from the local police, they remove the opportunity for local knowledge to be used,” he said.
“Local police know people in the community and it wouldn’t hurt if they had a bit of input into who should be allowed to own a gun.”
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