THOROUGH: Police Minister Poto Williams says changes will require firearm licence applicants to provide additional information, including a list of countries travelled to or visited in the previous five years involving stays of 14 days or more.
Proposed government changes to new firearm licensing regulations could have been much more intrusive than what has transpired.
Federated Farmers president Andrew Hoggard says government officials initially wanted firearms and ammunition to be secured in a separate locked box when being transported, even if locked in a car boot.
In addition, it wanted firearms or ammunition never to be left unattended when being transported and restrictions on carrying firearms on public land until it was pointed out that would preclude hunting on Department of Conservation land.
“We were able to make good changes to the policy than what it could have been,” Hoggard said.
However, he still feels the new licensing requirements will still be onerous and time-consuming.
Police Minister Poto Williams says the changes give greater clarity to the transporting of firearms in vehicles.
That ambiguity saw people taking firearms with them whenever they left a vehicle.
“This can involve carrying the firearm in public view and into public premises,” Williams said in a statement.
Williams said changes will require firearm licence applicants to provide additional information, including a list of countries travelled to or visited in the previous five years involving stays of 14 days or more, and the length of stay in each country address.
“This is a key change to the firearms vetting process, which will help ensure anyone with red flags in other jurisdictions will be identified,” she said.
“Police can then consider whether these individuals are fit and proper to hold a firearms licence in NZ.
Other changes to regulations are designed to be tailored to the requirements and activities of individual firearms’ dealers and to provide information for the importation of ammunition and pistol carbine conversion kits.
It also specifies the nature and type of records needed to be kept by businesses selling ammunition.
The Firearms Prohibition Orders Legislation Bill will have its first reading in the House later this month.
