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A Labor-Greens controlled committee has uncovered significant issues with the rollout of WA Police’s new gun licensing portal, but ultimately backed the Cook government’s firearms reforms as “reasonable and justified”.
In its report into the Firearms Act 2024, tabled in WA parliament on Thursday, the upper house’s Legislation Committee found the portal was not ready for the volume of users who tried to update their licences after the laws came into effect earlier this year.
The report rejected concerns from hunting and sporting shooter groups.Credit: iStock
The findings vindicate the frustrations of gun owners who attempted to update their licenses under the new scheme.
However, the committee, chaired by Labor MP Katrina Stratton, said the portal’s problems were exacerbated by its requirement to use Commonwealth MyID applications.
“The committee was told, and it accepts, that some consternation and inconvenience was caused to legitimate firearm owners and users by the introduction of the new firearms portal,” the report read.
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“Reconciliation of the personal information held on that application with the information being supplied as part of firearms-related matters was problematic.
“The Committee was also told, and we accept, that there was little or no information available to firearms users, on the Police website or otherwise, and that calls to the firearms licensing helpline frequently went unanswered.
“When advice was given, it was sometimes contradictory or misleading.”
The committee report said this led gun owners to seek answers elsewhere – and their search often turned up false information.
The report recommended WA Police publish more details about the laws and regulations on its website and send a hard copy of guidance on how to adhere with the laws to all registered gun owners.
It also recommended police conduct a community education campaign on the new laws.
The report contains 47 findings and 11 recommendations, most of which back the Cook government’s drafting of the controversial laws.
However, the minority members of the committee – Liberal MLC Simon Erehnfield and One Nation MP Rod Caddies – continued to criticise the laws and their application.
The report rubbished concerns from feral animal hunters and sporting shooters who appeared in public hearings that their pursuits were being impacted by the laws.
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“Much of what the Committee was told was based upon supposition and speculation. Many of the concerns raised were unfounded,” it said.
“For example, if there is a problem with feral pests across the state, it is not as a result of this legislation.
“Landowners may issue as many temporary hunting permissions to deal with vermin as they see fit, on top of the 15 standard permissions they can now grant regardless of land size.
“Sporting shooters from interstate will be able to visit and compete. Traditional Owners will still be able to engage in traditional hunting.”
The committee probed the Cook government’s Firearms Act 2024, which came into effect on March 31 this year.
The laws were aimed at reducing the number of guns in the community and placing more stringent rules on granting gun licences, including the requirement to undergo medical assessments and a “fit and proper person test”.
The rules also limit most owners to 10 guns, and five for hunting licences.
The reforms were brought in after a spate of high-profile gun crimes in WA, including the 2020 shooting of former Rebels boss Nick Martin in public at the Kwinana Motorplex.
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