Paperwork load under fire

Sunday Times, Page: 4. Sunday, 25 May, 2008

The paperwork for firearm ownership is “out of control”, says long-time gun shop owner Murray Alexander.
His family has owned Maylands shop Roy Alexander and Sons for 62 years.
He has been part-owner for more than 40 years.
Mr Alexander, a clay target shooter and an international shooting coach, said the process of owning a gun had become unnecessarily bureaucratic.
There are more than 30 gun shops in WA.
Potential owners have to complete a four-page police application before they can have a gun and need genuine reasons for possession.
These can include ownership for sport, hunting or shooting on land, as part of a collection, or for work.
Licences cost $167 and are valid for 12 months. Renewals cost $35 a year.
Applicants must have written permission from a landowner to hunt or shoot, proof they are a member or an approved shooting club, proof they are a primary producer, or proof they are an approved nominee of a primary producer.
A statutory declaration must be made that firearms will be stored in a locked steel cabinet.