Justice Minister Michael Keenan announced today that a national firearms amnesty will be held next year. The Commonwealth secured agreement from the state and territory police and justice ministers for the amnesty at the Law, Crime and Community Safety Council (LCCSC) meeting in Melbourne.
However, the ministers failed to reach a consensus on the reclassification of the Adler A110 lever-action shotgun, meaning the current import ban will continue until further notice.
The firearms amnesty is aimed at reducing the number of unregistered firearms in Australia and will provide an opportunity for individuals to hand in unregistered firearms without fear of prosecution. Minister Keenan said it was not a buy-back and would not be targeting law-abiding firearm owners.
The national firearms amnesty is expected to begin in mid-2017, with details to be settled by officials from each jurisdiction.