THE strictest gun laws in the nation have passed the Parliament of Western Australia, ensuring thousands of firearms are removed from the community.

In a nation-leading move, the number of guns an individual can own will be restricted depending on their licence type. Primary producers and competition shooters can have up to 10 firearms while recreational hunters are restricted to five.

The complete rewrite of WA’s 50-year-old Firearms Act has also seen the introduction of Mandatory Disqualifying Offences and Orders (MDOs), which strip guns from the hands of serious offenders such as family and domestic violence perpetrators.

Under the changes, anyone who applies for a gun licence must complete mandatory firearms training. All owners will also be required to undergo a regular health assessment and comply with new storage requirements.

Supported by a multimillion-dollar digital licensing and management system, an overhaul of the corrupted ‘property letter’ system gives power back to landowners and lease holders so they can control who enters and shoots on their property.    

In advance of the legislation passing, the State Government had already doubled the penalties for gun crime, outlawed very high-powered firearms and introduced Firearm Prohibition Orders to target underworld figures.

To date, close to 14,000 guns from more than 8,000 people have been sold to the State Government as part of the ongoing voluntary firearms buyback scheme.

The $64.3 million buyback offers licensed gun owners up to $1,000 to hand in their weapon and remains open until 31 August 2024.

Premier Roger Cook said for the first time, WA’s firearms laws elevate public safety above the privilege of owning a gun.

“I’m unapologetic for our safety-first approach which strengthens gun controls and enhances public safety.

“Sadly, in recent years, we’ve seen the devastating consequences resulting from the misuse of firearms in our community.   

“Those tragedies highlight the need to remove guns from people who don’t have a legitimate reason for owning one.   

Police Minister Paul Papalia said the consultation process for the historic rewrite of the state’s 50-year-old Firearms Act has been long and extensive and thanked the Primary Producers Advisory Board, peak firearms bodies and community safety advocates.

“The reform removes thousands of unnecessary guns from our community while also enabling the legitimate and responsible use of firearms.”