The head of the NT Police’s Firearms and Recording Unit has written to shooting groups asking what they think are reasonable limits on ammunition possession, in what the authority said was an attempt to comply with the National Firearms Agreement, stating further that any limit set could be increased with a letter from the licence holder outlining that genuine need for more.
An email from the unit’s Officer in Charge, Senior Sergeant Ian Kennon, seen by the NT Independent, was sent to various NT shooting groups, stating that under section 54 of the National Firearms Agreement (NFA), jurisdictions need to impose limits on the quantity of ammunition that may be purchased in a given period.
But the email has reportedly angered the Shooters Union of Australia’s NT representative who claimed the police were “making up laws” for non-existent problems.
Snr Sgt Kennon wrote that the NT Firearms Act 1997 “appeared to attempt to comply” with the national agreement through Section 13(1)(d) stating that a licence holder must not possess, at any one time, an amount of ammunition that exceeds the amount authorised in writing by the Commissioner.
“Recent media attention has raised the issue that there have not been any effective controls put in place to limit the amount of ammunition someone can possess. We are being asked the question as to why we haven’t put limits in place,” he wrote.
“Other jurisdictions have also been asked the same and I believe most are working towards implementing some kind of limits. Rather than attempt to implement restrictions at the point of sale, it would be easier to put possession limits in place.
“So, what would be a reasonable amount you consider someone should be able to possess on different licence categories, without being too restrictive at any one time?
“I do not want to propose anything that becomes too restrictive for people with a genuine need for large amounts of ammunition based on their licence type.”
He did not explain why he thought new limits were needed when he said the NT Firearms Act 1997 appeared to attempt to comply with the NFA.
Snr Sgt Kennon said “his thoughts” were the following limits: A & B shooter – 1000 rounds per calibre of firearm owned; sports shooter – 10,000 rounds per calibre of firearm owned (is that excessive, how much would one reasonably need for a competition shoot?); primary production – 5,000 rounds per calibre of firearm owned; animal control – 5,000 rounds per calibre of firearm owned; business or employment – 500 rounds per calibre of firearm owned; occupational requirement – 500 rounds per calibre of firearm owned; instructors – 10,000 rounds per calibre of firearm owned; dealers – no limit; ammunition retailers – no limit.
Category A shooters are those with air rifles, rimfire rifles (other than self-loading), shotguns (other than pump action or self-loading) and shotgun and rimfire rifle combinations.
Category B shooters are those with muzzle-loading firearms, centre-fire rifles (other than self-loading), and shotgun and centre-fire rifle combinations.
Per calibre means per type of gun, so if someone owned two shotguns, they could still only posses 1000 rounds of shotgun shells.
The email was sent to the Sporting Shooter Association Darwin Branch but the unknown representative, who would not answer the phone and would only communicate by text message, said they did not want to comment.
The Shooters Union of Australia had not responded to the NT Independent’s call by the time of publication but the Sporting Shooter website said Northern Territory representative Bradd Linsley told them he was “infuriated” that the police were effectively “making up laws” for problems that don’t exist, pointing out Snr Sgt Kennon writing that firearm laws in the NT “appear to attempt to comply with the NFA through Section 13(1)(d) of the Firearms Act”.
“We elect representatives who serve on various legislative assemblies — not unelected bureaucrats — to make laws,” he said.
The Sporting Shooter article said Mr Linsley referred to the clause in the Act that “ammunition limits that could be ‘authorised in writing by the Commissioner'” but said “this has never been acted upon”.
“How and what resources would be needed to check and enforce this?” he was quoted as saying. “Surely police time would be better spent on the out-of-control criminal activity in Darwin and Alice Springs as well as the ice epidemic in the NT rather than as amateur accountants counting rounds of ammo.”
The article stated Mr Linsley said there was no legal requirement to comply with the NFA, and that NT shooters needed to buy ammunition in bulk when it was cheaper, due to costs, supply issues and onerous restrictions on the shipment of dangerous goods.
Snr Sgt Kennon’s email also said any limit set could be increased with a letter from the holder outlining the genuine need for more.
“I believe we, as a group, should be able to nut out what would be a reasonable amount of ammunition to be possessed,” he wrote.
“Nothing I have written above is set in stone by any means, nor is that list exhaustive. I am genuinely interested in your thoughts on how this could be best achieved and what you think would be a reasonable limit.”
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