WA gun buyback: ‘Jaw-dropping’ new photos show massive scale, as window for payback closes

Owners of about 70,000 soon-to-be-illegal firearms in WA were warned their window to be reimbursed was closing, as the Government revealed the “jaw-dropping” success of the gun buyback so far. New photos, to be released on Monday by the State Government, show the massive stockpile of 10,000 firearms set to be destroyed — representing half of the total handed in. The buyback was introduced ahead of new laws passed by Parliament in June. Of 19,430 guns removed from the community, almost 13,000 were rifles, while more than 1800 handguns and nearly 5000 shotguns were handed in. “There are still around 70,000 guns in the community that could become illegal when changes come into effect. This is the last chance for gun owners to get paid by the State Government for their gun,” Police Minister Paul Papalia said. “If you aren’t a primary producer, part of a firearms club or don’t personally know the owner of the property who has issued your written authority, you should seriously consider participating in the buyback.” With less than a month until the Government’s $63 million buyback ends, Mr Papalia used the images to illustrate the program’s success. More than $8.3 million has been paid out to firearm owners, with the program closing on August 31. “Being aware of how many guns have been removed from the community is one thing but to physically see what impact the buyback is having gives you a whole new appreciation,” Mr Papalia said. “To know this is just half of the total number handed in so far is jaw-dropping. Under our new firearm laws, owning a gun will cost more, regulations will be far more robust and requirements for things like storage, health checks and training will more onerous.” Under the new laws to be fully implemented by March, firearm owners will face limits of between five and 10 guns — depending on the licence held. Owners will also face tougher health and mental health checks, storage requirements and changes to the property letter system. The old system allowed licence holders to be endorsed for gun ownership by farm owners for vermin control. But the system became the subject of abuse, with letters made available to purchase. Property owners will now be limited to the number of letters they can issue for their property, with the focus on genuine regional use. As part of the laws, all existing property letters will become invalid and will need to be reissued. Property owners will also no longer be able to sell them for profit. The new laws are expected to reduce the number of firearms in WA by a quarter — or 90,000 guns, according to police modelling. Mr Papalia warned owners to understand the new laws and access the buyback this month. More than half owners — 6000 of 11,100 — who have taken part in the buyback live in Perth. Figures released to The West in June showed there were about 150,000 guns in Perth out of more than 326,000 licensed firearms across the State.