Mr PERRETT (Gympie—LNP) (2.30 pm): The Weapons Licensing Branch has been
underperforming for years. It does not matter if you already own a firearm or have a licence, the delays
to renew or get a licence or a permit to acquire are ridiculous. The government knows there is a problem.
In June’s budget it announced 40 extra public servants to deal with the backlogs. That is 40 extra staff
must be hired then trained which I hope does not mean more delays and shuffling paperwork.
Since the budget announcement, the time to process applications and permits has hit an all-time
low. The branch advises that processing PTAs would take up to 50 days and, with fingers metaphorically
crossed, an average of 31 days. New applications have increased by four weeks to a minimum 25
weeks or half a year. Licence renewals are frequently not processed within the mandatory 42 days. Ron
Owen of Owen Guns advised me—
Every day we are fielding calls and physical inquiries from shooters who have been waiting many weeks for the PTA that has
already cost them $43 for each firearm.
The delays impact law-abiding landholders, small businesses of firearm dealers, pest controllers
and regional communities. Many landholders and primary producers use firearms to deal with feral
animals and pests such as wild dogs and pigs, to protect crops, and humanely euthanase animals.
Firearms are a tool of trade. It is unconscionable that primary producers must jump through
manufactured hoops to continue to use their tools of trade.
The branch is failing everyone it should service. Dealing with it is a nightmare. Processing
paperwork should be a relatively straightforward process. The turnaround is unacceptable. Paperwork
is frequently lost, addresses mixed up, requests for further information never arrive, and
self-explanatory paperwork ignored. I have experienced it. I had seven days to provide further
information to renew a licence. Within two days, I supplied the information via registered post, yet
Weapons Licensing rang me saying it was not provided and would assess the request on the original
application. Thankfully, I had the Australia Post receipt showing the time it was received.
Requesting further information is often a cover that nothing has been processed. Often applicants
have clear evidence that information was provided, were advised their application is being processed,
only to receive another request for the same information. COVID did not cause the delays. It is an
excuse. It takes longer here than states which were more severely impacted.
In 2020, the government could not close gun shops quick enough. COVID was the cloak to
unilaterally close licensed dealers and armourers, gave no notice to farmers, primary producers or
affected businesses, and no explanation to the industry. It seems they did not know firearms are needed
in the agriculture and pest control industries to manage properties and operate businesses. A properly
resourced and efficient weapons licensing system is critical. The government must ensure the system
works and that applicants are not done over by the bureaucracy.
