Overview
- The Allan government on Monday declined a Ken Lay recommendation to limit category A and B licence‑holders to four firearms while accepting the other 15 proposals from his rapid review and pledging to bring the accepted measures to parliament.
- Accepted reforms include tightening licence eligibility to Australian citizens and New Zealand permanent residents, introducing health assessments for applicants and renewals, mandatory screening for unlicensed people at shooting ranges, tougher penalties for offences, and expanded Victoria Police powers such as temporary firearm reclassification.
- Ken Lay’s review found the average Victorian licence‑holder owned about four guns but noted some hunters and sports shooters legally hold many more, a finding that informed the review’s exemption proposals and complicated a simple ownership cap.
- The government said it rejected the cap to focus on preventing criminals from obtaining weapons and cited political and stakeholder opposition; shooting industry groups welcomed the decision while some advocates and Greens criticised the move.
- Victoria will pursue changes at state level and said it will work with other jurisdictions on national arrangements, a step that could shape renegotiation of the national firearms agreement and how police enforce new controls.