South Australian police are so far behind in processing shooters’ applications that it is putting serious financial strain on the gun industry, with some dealers facing collapse as their turnover grinds to a halt.
Earlier this month, SA Police (SAPOL) figures indicated the force had a backlog of permit applications almost two months long, and licence renewals had been backed up for almost four months.
New licence applications had been waiting almost six months.
Four out of five firearm dealers in SA said the delays had become their biggest business concern, according to preliminary data from a survey by the Shooting Industry Foundation of Australia (SIFA).
“Firearms dealers in SA are reporting major impacts to cash flow due to long wait times for permit approvals,” SIFA CEO James Walsh said.
He has demanded urgent action from the SA government to resolve the issue before it does any further harm to the SA firearm industry.
“Businesses are being forced to warehouse large volumes of stock while waiting for weeks and in some cases, months for permits to be processed,” Mr Walsh said.
“In several cases, dealers are approaching the limits of their business overdrafts and facing closure of their business if these issues are not quickly resolved.
“One business has reported that it can no longer order additional stock because its secure armoury is at full capacity, which is restricting sales and future income.
“The delays are also affecting farmers and agricultural operators who are waiting on permits for tools essential to pest control and humane livestock euthanasia.”
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