Fury as Queensland police act “outside the legislation” to “ban” big calibres

Queensland’s Weapons Licensing Group is expected to be put firmly back in its box by the state government after refusing to grant permits to shooters on the basis that large calibres would be banned in the future.

There is reportedly no plan to change Queensland legislation to outlaw large-calibre firearms, and Sporting Shooter understands the Police Minister is not happy that the police have stirred up a hornet’s-nest reaction by unilaterally deciding to deny firearm applications on the basis of calibre.

Nathan Ravenscroft’s video covers the background to the permit refusals and explains what can be done about it

Police have also been imposing conditions on the use of some firearms, with one letter showing that a shooter has been told they may only use a new .300 Win Mag rifle for Big Game Rifle Match competition despite the shooter’s licence endorsing them for recreational hunting and other target sports.

Police can do this under Section 25 of the Weapons Act 1990 which allows an officer to alter licence conditions on “their own initiative” with no limits put on the rationale.

Police have also been relying on the word “need” in the legislation, which says a permit to acquire may only be issued if the applicant “has a need to possess the weapon”. Weapons Licensing has long been accused of interpreting “need” in a very limited way, and appears to be doing so now.

But it is Weapons Licensing’s new reasoning about non-existent future calibre bans that has particularly angered shooters this time, and it came to light when Shooters Union members began having their permits refused.

“In our discussions with the Minister, we have been assured there is no push to limit calibres by the government,” Shooters Union president Graham Park said.

“This is overreach from Weapons Licensing who are acting outside the legislation,” he said.

He said Weapons Licensing had gone “really hard at it” even after Shooters Union made the issue public this week.

He added that the biggest problem Queensland shooters faced was not from the state’s government but from the police.

Meanwhile, Shooters Union pro-shooter representative Nathan Ravenscroft, a professional shooter himself, posted the above video, explaining many of the details of what has been happening.

“Queensland Weapons Licensing is significantly overreaching and providing information that is not backed by legislation or anything that has been shaped by an elected official,” he said.

“This level of restriction and overreach … is not really indicated anywhere in the legislation. This is an opinion-based piece, is new, unwarranted and frankly a waste of everyone’s time.”