The WA government is set to rewrite the state's outdated gun laws amid fears a growing number of firearms in the community could fall into the wrong hands.
WA residents currently own more than 349,000 guns, an increase of 60 per cent on 2009, with half of those guns registered in the Perth metropolitan area.
But the number of residents with a gun licence has remained about the same, at just over 89,000, which means individuals own more weapons. It is estimated that each licence holder has four guns.
Police Minister Paul Papalia said the Firearms Act needed tightening to ensure guns do not get into the hands of criminals.
"Extraordinarily, community safety is not the number one concern of the Firearms Act – we are going to fix that," he said.
"You've got to think, that with (almost) 350,000 firearms in the community, some of them, many of them probably are lying around just waiting to be stolen by criminals."
The minister said WA did not currently comply with the National Firearms Agreement, which he believed was Prime Minister John Howard's "pinnacle of achievement".
"There are some elements of the National Firearms Agreement we in Western Australia do not comply with," he said.
"Chief amongst those, of concern to me, is a requirement for training prior to getting a gun licence.
"I think that needs to change."
Mr Papalia said shootings that had occurred in public showed current laws were inadequate.
The minister described the existing laws, which were written in the 1970s and amended over the years, as "clunky" and encouraged the community to have its say through a consultation process.
Along with the enhanced training requirements, other proposed reforms included stronger storage rules and provisions to enable police to take away licences from anyone convicted of serious family violence offences.
Owning a gun 'privilege, not a right'
Police Commissioner Chris Dawson said there were lawful reasons to own guns.
"I am a licensed firearm owner," he said.
"I come from both parents who were both raised on farms, there is a legitimate use for firearms in our community.
"Responsible use and legitimate reasons to have a firearm will be retained in the legislation.
"That's why this consultation is most important.
"But what we do want to do is make sure the modern legislation is fit for purpose."
He said owning a gun was a privilege and not a right, and gun owners who disposed of higher calibre weapons went and bought more smaller calibre weapons.
"The issue for us will be to make sure, are the numbers and types of weapons the sorts that should be available in our community?" he said.
Premier Mark McGowan said he did not want WA to mirror the "gun culture" prevalent in the United States.
The WA Police Licensing Enforcement Division will tour regional areas to encourage submissions as part of the community consultation process.
Mr Papalia said a Law Reform Commission inquiry, which took more submissions than previous inquiries, was a good starting point.
The legislative changes are expected to be introduced to parliament late in 2023.
Responsible gun owners 'blindsided'
Sporting Shooters Association president Paul Fitzgerald expressed outrage at the government's plans, saying they were unfairly aimed at recreational and conservation shooters.
Mr Fitzgerald said the government had "blindsided" responsible gun owners and put their safety at risk by revealing where registered gun owners live, via a map published in the media.
"Recreational shooters are sportspeople and conservationists who are passionate about firearm safety and the responsibility that comes with owning a licensed firearm, and we are avid campaigners against gun violence," he said.
Mr Fitzgerald said there was no evidence that linked licensed gun owners, or the number of firearms held by an individual, with an increase in crime.
"SSAA WA's number one priority is to educate and promote the safe use of firearms for people participating in recreational shooting and hunting, whilst ensuring all safeguards are in place to protect the wider community," he said.
Farmers back the reforms
Mr Papalia said he'd met with representatives of the Pastoralists and Graziers Association and WA Farmers, and they were supportive of the need for changes.
WA Farmers CEO Trevor Whittington, who was at the meeting, said he was assured nothing would be done that would have a negative impact on farmers.
"They're obviously concerned about community safety, bikies...people that are on the wrong side of the law who have access to firearms that they shouldn't have, or worse, starting to manufacture them," he said.
Mr Whittington said farmers and pastoralists would typically own multiple weapons for different purposes.
"A lot of farmers, particularly livestock, would own up to a dozen.
"You only need one to be a threat to yourself or someone else."
Mr Whittington said the number of farmers had fallen from about 17,000 to around 5,000 in the last 40 years.
"I suspect the number of livestock's gone down, the number of farmers with actual firearms has gone down, so where's the growth?
"Just people buying more; does it matter if people have five or six or one or two? I don't think it makes any difference.
"What matters is who's got them."
