NSW Rushes to Parliament to Introduce Heavily Criticised Gun Reforms

New South Wales (NSW) parliament has been urgently recalled to pass new laws before Christmas in the wake of the Bondi terror attack.

Legislation is expected to be rushed through parliament on Dec. 22 that would see gun ownership capped at four firearms with exemptions for farming and sport.

Magazine capacity will also be brought down for certain guns that will be limited to five to 10 rounds.

Some firearms, including straight-pull and pump action weapons, will be reclassified and further restricted.

New protest-related powers will also come into force, including allowing police to ban protests for up to three months after a terror attack and granting authorities power to restrict protests during “terror alert” periods.

Further laws will be introduced to curb hate speech and symbols, including banning the use of terrorist flags.

NSW Premier Chris Minns discussed the new laws outside parliament.

“The legislation bans the public displays of terrorist symbols, outlaws violence, incitement to violence and backs NSW and gives police stronger powers during public assemblies,” he told media.

“It also delivers the toughest firearm reforms in the country. It does restrict access to high-risk weapons, strengthening license, storage, and oversight regimes in the state.”

Minns labelled them “extraordinary measures” but said something had to change.

“That is in recognition of the fact that while it may be a tinderbox out there in the community during the summer period, we can’t let unrestrained violence or disunity in our community run without a strong police presence,” he said.

Gun Reforms Criticised

However, some of the sweeping reforms have copped a heavy dose of criticism, particularly around additional gun reform.

NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane said the rushed gun reforms were being passed through parliament without an adequate consultation process.

“There’s been zero consultation or very little consultation with stakeholders, certainly not with the Opposition,” she said.

The Shooters Union Australia has argued the law changes won’t work in practice because the logic behind them is flawed.

“Proposals to impose numerical limits assume that risk increases simply because a person owns more firearms,” the union said in a statement.

“There is no evidence to support this assumption.

“Risk does not arise from the number of firearms owned by a compliant licence holder—it arises from behaviour, intent, criminal activity, and misuse.”

The group also says limits on firearms are unfair because many law-abiding gun owners have multiple weapons for a reason.

“Different shooting disciplines require different firearm types and configurations,” the statement said.

“Hunting different species requires appropriate calibres suited to specific environments and ethical harvesting.

“Sporting and target shooting competitions frequently mandate equipment that cannot be substituted across disciplines. Firearms used for training or competition are often unsuitable for field use, and vice versa.”

NSW Farmers also oppose the new rules, arguing they would require them to re-register every two years instead of five, and to join a gun club when some rural producers may live many hours from one.

“It’s more red tape for law-abiding farmers,” President Xavier Martin said.

Politicians in the neighbouring state of Queensland have also been critical.

Liberal Premier David Crisafulli said if gun reform was the main response, then “the terrorists have a win.”

Katter’s Australian Party Leader Robbie Katter said efforts to focus on further gun regulation were a distraction.

“Unfeted immigration from places with no rule of law, no democracy, no Judeo-Christian values, and no industrial awards, has fostered a culture of hate, of anti-Semitism, and of radicalism in our communities,” he said in a statement provided to The Epoch Times.

Both state and federal tiers of government are set to enact stricter gun law reforms.

Federally, gun numbers will be limited, the types of allowable guns will decrease, new licencing laws will stop non-citizens from owning firearms, and a national firearms register will be established.

Under NSW state laws, caps of around four to 10 firearms will be introduced, tighter licence requirements and bans on certain magazines will be introduced.

The Albanese government has also launched a gun buy-back scheme aimed at reducing the overall number of firearms in Australia.