On our shores, the Australian Federal Government released a report into the first 12 months of the Permanent National Firearms Amnesty, revealing 17,543 firearms and weapons were surrendered and around one third of these were subsequently registered for legal ownership. Firearms parts and accessories can also be handed in as a part of the amnesty and 606 items had been surrendered during the first 12 months.
The amnesty was approved by the former Ministerial Council for Police and Emergency Management in November 2019 and commenced on July 1, 2021. Individuals are encouraged to surrender unwanted, unregistered or otherwise illegally held firearms and firearm-related articles by providing protection from prosecution for the act of surrendering a firearm or related item. People can choose to register, sell or destroy the firearms they hand in.
Some states and territories provided information around whether firearms handed in had previously been reported as stolen or missing. There were 16 firearms previously noted as stolen that are now accounted for and 30 missing firearms accounted for across New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania.
The Permanent National Firearms Amnesty continues and allows anyone in possession of an unregistered or unwanted firearm to surrender it anonymously without penalty. It also allows for the registration and sale of firearms. The process for surrendering a firearm for each state and territory can be found at www.crimestoppers.com.au/firearmamnesty/
| Surrenders Made Under The Permanent National Firearms Amnesty | ||
| Jurisdiction | Firearms and Weapons | Firearms parts and accessories |
| Australian Capital Territory | 520 | 27 |
| New South Wales | 6704 | 417 |
| Northern Territory | 146 | 0 |
| Queensland | 2835 | 18 |
| South Australia | 1044 | 81* |
| Tasmania | 916 | 33 |
| Victoria | 3279 | Not available |
| Western Australia | 2099 | 30 |
| Total | 17,543 | 606 |