South Australian police have created a huge and worsening backlog of paperwork that is strangling the firearms industry, despite promising months ago to fix the situation.
Delays of nine months or more in processing licenses and permits are bringing business in the state to a halt, preventing farmers from getting tools that they need, and causing major headaches for the administration of shooting clubs, according to the Shooting Industry Foundation of Australia (SIFA).
“The South Australian Police Firearms Branch is restricting lawful trade and destroying businesses,” SIFA CEO James Walsh said.
“These delays are now significantly above national averages and totally unsatisfactory.
“No business, in any industry, can absorb regulatory delays of this magnitude without serious consequences.”
He said dealers throughout SA were holding hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of unsold stock, and this was having Australia-wide implications as those dealers stopped buying from their interstate suppliers.
SIFA produced figures showing how processing times had blown out in the past 12 months:
- Permits to acquire from 17 days a year ago to 57 days now, almost 3½ times longer
- Licence renewals from 77 days to 200 days, more than 2½ times longer
- New licence applications from 58 days to 277 days, almost 5 times longer.
He said SIFA had worked “in good faith” with the police and government for months but with the situation only getting worse the organisation is now calling for direct action by the shooting community.
It has launched a campaign urging shooters to help by contacting their local MPs and the SA Police Minister and explaining how the delays are affecting them.
“It’s time that the government steps in, provides clarity, commits resources and implements a realistic plan for improvement,” Mr Walsh said.
“South Australian businesses, sporting organisations and primary producers deserve no less.”
Specifically, SIFA is asking th government to guarantee a timeline for fixing the problem, to set formal turnaround times for applications and to provide the resources required by the police to deal with the workload now and in the future.
Mr Walsh said he held extra concerns because SA was approaching a state election which could exacerbate problems if no action is taken before the government enters caretaker mode.
“Without immediate intervention, the situation will continue to deteriorate, with preventable consequences for trade, employment, regional communities and primary producers,” he said.
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