Substantial proposed increases in firearms licence fees have gun owners, including farmers, up in arms over the impost and the unknown consequences.
Northland dairy farmer Tom Pow said pest-control efforts would be impacted, as would the on-farm slaughtering of sick or debilitated animals.
Farmers, make up about 10% of licence holders who have declared they keep firearms for employment or business purposes, and they shoot the majority of pests, Pow said.
“Since the demise of the tail tally and ammunition replacement schemes, farmers have spearheaded the national pest control efforts and they should be rewarded, not charged substantially more,” said Pow.
How would the Predator Free 2050 objective be met without farmers shooting possums, rabbits, goats, deer, pigs and wild cattle, he asked.
Farmers should be charging for the cost, training, skill, effort and time that goes into major pest control in the national interest, he said.
New Zealand Police has opened consultation on proposed fee changes for firearms licences and endorsements, advising some 240,000 licence holders on the database.
Its partial cost-recovery options for a 10-year renewal are $242.50, $485.00 or $727.50, compared with the current $126.50, unchanged since 1999.
Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming said that currently the police are in effect subsidising the regulatory process for firearms licence holders.
“At the moment, licence holders are paying less than 15% of the true cost of a licence.”
The full cost is somewhere between $960 and $1060, he said.
The proposed options are set at 25%, 50% and 75% cost recovery.
The consultation also floats the full recovery of the cost of a separate gun safety training course at $88.
New applicants for an initial five-year licence would pay the course fee and slightly lower application fees: $208.50, $417.10 or $625.60.
The police consultation document says the fees recovery would go back to the government, which funded $15.5 million of the licensing system in 2020-21.
“The increase in fees would not result in additional services.”
The Council of Licenced Firearm Owners (COLFO) said the consultation document has vague assertions without substantiation and fee increases would not deter the illegal use of firearms.
COLFO spokesperson Hugh Devereux-Mack said the police cannot substantiate what real costs firearms owners are being asked to pay, yet wants to charge them up to 400% more.
He acknowledged the need for licence fees to keep pace with inflation, saying something around $240 would be reasonable.
A higher fee would discourage people from seeking a licence and start strangling the sport and recreational activities where guns are used.
Devereux-Mack said licensed hunters and shooters are also major contributors to national pest control and that many hunt to put food on the table.
The police said the fee-setting process needs to strike a balance between discouragement and non-compliance.
The higher subsidy option would be unlikely to change the behaviour of those who choose not to apply for a licence and use firearms unlawfully, the document says.
The fees consultation follows the launch of Te Tari Pūreke Firearms Safety Authority in November, a dedicated unit within the police for licence applications and the new task of linking gun and component serial numbers to licence holders.
There remains a substantial backlog of licence renewals but online applications made before the expiry date provide extended licence validity.
There will be 10,000 to 15,000 renewal applications a year for five years, comprising those who have been identified as posing no risk of unsafe or non-compliant use of firearms, the authority has said.
Police recruitment for arms supervisors, officers, vetters and administrators is underway.
The basic steps in licence renewal include applicant vetting, testing and interviewing, referee checks and interviews and site visits for storage inspections.
Other considerations under consultation include dealer licences, museum and curator licences, overseas visitors’ fees and licences for theatrical armourers.
The consultation period is until February 16 and the COLFO has urged farmers to read its Facebook page for updates and the publication of submissions.
