Anger as gun fee hike proposed

Proposed firearms licensing fee hikes are likely to only fuel the black market, an Invercargill firearms retailer says.

"There’s going to be a lot of people not going to renew their licences but they will still have firearms," Delta Mike co-owner Alex McKenzie said.

"It’s definitely an awkward position where if someone hums and ha’s about renewing their license and they don’t, it expires, they’ve still got guns, and then they think, ‘c... , what do I do with them now? ... I haven’t got a licence, I can’t go sell them legally, I’ve got to get rid of them some other way’."

Police have proposed a first-time licence application including safety training will increase nearly 400% from $126.50 to $625.60.

The proposed dealers’ licences would go from $204 up to $2570.

Mr McKenzie believed the Arms Act was meant to prevent guns being misused or falling into the wrong hands.

But he suspected the proposed increases would have the opposite effect, forcing people out of the sport and driving sales underground.

He believed increases were an attempt by the Government to price people out of the sport and force out those already involved.

Central Southland Gun Club captain Peter Robb said the proposed increases were an unnecessary cost for members and would likely have a huge impact on the sport.

"I’m starting to believe they are going to keep on putting things up just to make it so hard for people that people won’t actually want guns in New Zealand.

"It’s like anything. If it gets high enough, it’s going to kill it off.

"I don’t know where it’s all going to end."

He was concerned for the future of the sport, as the costs would likely be prohibitive for new members joining.

At present, the sport had a strong contingency of school pupils involved, who were also learning the safety aspects of handling and owning firearms.

Police deputy commissioner Jevon McSkimming said fees had been static for 20 years and owners should make a greater contribution towards the cost of licences, permits, endorsements, permits and approvals.

"At the moment, licence holders are paying less than 15% of the true cost of a licence.

"Even if the current firearms licence fee was doubled, it would fall well short of the actual cost."

Council of Licensed Firearms Owners spokesman Hugh Devereaux-Mack said he understood fees needed to increase because they had been static for nearly 20 years.

However, raising them by up to 400% during a cost-of-living crisis would inhibit people from renewing their firearms licence, he said.

"Police are reaching into the pockets of firearms owners to fund excessive paperwork processes that are abysmally operated and do not improve public safety."

Mr McKenzie said the police’s reasoning that firearms legislation only benefited owners was flawed.

"Firearms legislation affects everyone. Preventing the misuse of firearms benefits everyone equally regardless of whether you’re a firearm owner. And so acting as if it’s only for our benefit, and then we need to fully pay for it."

Preventing crime was a safety and community issue.

If people left the sport, the safety aspect would also be lost.

"No-one wants to be the victim of violent crime or the misuse of firearms ... that applies to everyone, regardless of whether you’re a firearms learner."

The Arms Regulations Review of Fees discussion document is open for public submissions until February 16.

By Toni McDonald

 

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