The ACT’s Inquiry into Proposed Firearms Legislation Reform has recommended the government implements firearms ownership caps and institutes a firearms buy-back.
The inquiry was commissioned in February, following the Bondi terror attacks, to address proposed ACT firearms legislation (the Firearms (Public Safety) Amendment Bill 2025) which would essentially adopt NSW’s unpopular new gun laws, including firearms ownership caps and reclassifying straight-pull and lever-release firearms to Category C.
The ACT report recommends adopting a limit of five guns for recreational licence holders, and up to 10 guns for target shooters and primary producers. Dealers and collectors would be exempt from the limits.
The ACT report makes reference to submissions from ACT Policing, the Allanah & Madeline Foundation, and the Australia Institute in support of its recommendation to implement firearms ownership caps, despite also acknowledging that “the evidence of a number of witnesses that the link between the specific numerical caps proposed and a reduction in firearm-related harm is not definitive”.
“However, the Committee notes the National Cabinet agreed to undertake reforms to limit the number of firearms held by any one person. The Committee accepts the broad argument that fewer firearms in circulation will lead to less firearm-related harm,” the report says.
It also acknowledges little consultation was undertaken with the shooting community prior to the Bill’s introduction, and that a significant number of the issues with the new legislation could have been avoided or minimised had the government bothered to genuinely talk to shooters.
Interestingly, the report does not explicitly state (but could be interpreted to imply) the ACT should recategorise lever-release and straight-pull firearms; one of the recommendations is that the “ACT Government should aim to ensure that its categories align with other jurisdictions as much as possible and develop material that clearly explains in plain English any areas of non-alignment”; another is that “the Committee recommends that the ACT Government undertake further work to enable biathletes to participate in their sport in the ACT and develop a consistent process for further cases as they arise”.
Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and the Northern Territory have ruled out recategorising firearms and a number of sports shooting organisations – including the SSAA, National Rifle Association of Australia, and Biathlon Australia — made submissions that the ACT recategorising straight-pull and lever-release guns would cause significant problems for shooters (including biathlon athletes) competing interstate or overseas.
Given the ACT is completely surrounded by NSW it is unsurprisingly (but still disappointing) the report recommends ownership caps be introduced, along with a buyback — although the report also recommends ammunition and accessories be included in a buyback.
The report does, however, criticises the ACT Government’s rushed introduction of the Bill and its lack of genuine engagement with shooters
“There are several matters discussed in this report that could have been addressed prior to the Committee’s inquiry, had wider consultation been undertaken,” it states in its conclusion.
“Committee scrutiny is not a replacement for consultation by executive government. It is supplementary.”
It adds that “other unintended consequences may not have been raised with the Committee”.
“Without effective, wide-ranging consultation using the channels available to executive government, such as the Firearms Advisory Committee, important reforms like those considered in this report may include errors or oversights that inhibit their effective operation.”
The ACT Government is required to respond to the report by late September 2026.
A full copy of the Inquiry into Proposed Firearms Legislation Reform report is available here: https://www.parliament.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/3071317/Inquiry-into-legislation-on-proposed-firearms-reform-report.pdf
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