Remember to Sign the Petitions

Licensed and law-abiding firearms owners across Australia are facing a critical moment. Changes to firearms legislation in New South Wales have implications that extend well beyond one state, and right now, public participation matters.

New South Wales remains the country’s second-largest firearms market, and the laws that have now been passed will have lasting consequences if left unchallenged. Repealing or amending legislation once enacted requires sustained public pressure and clear evidence of community opposition. Without that pressure, restrictive laws risk becoming permanent.

Taking action does not require special expertise or resources. Signing a petition is a simple step, but when thousands of people act together, it sends a powerful message. Choosing not to act risks allowing decisions to be made without adequate input from those directly affected.

What You Can Do Now

If you live in New South Wales, make sure you have signed the official NSW Parliament petition. It has already passed 90,000+ signatures, but with more than 250,000 licensed shooters in the state, every additional signature strengthens the message.

If you have already signed, please consider sharing the petition with family members, friends, and fellow club members.

If you are outside NSW, you can still support the cause by signing the national petition and encouraging any NSW shooters you know to sign the state petition as well.

NSW Petition	National Petition
Sign here	Sign here

Jointly issued by industry and membership organisations – SSAA NSW, SIFA and NSWFDA; representing lawful firearms owners, sporting shooters and firearms businesses in New South Wales.

Recent events and the legislative changes that followed have created significant uncertainty for lawful firearms owners, sporting shooters and firearms businesses across New South Wales.

SSAA NSW, the Shooting Industry Foundation of Australia and the New South Wales Firearms Dealers Association acknowledge the anger, distress and frustration felt across the community. These reactions are understandable. As representative organisations, we have a responsibility to pursue pathways grounded in fact and evidence and that offer a realistic prospect of achieving outcomes that genuinely protect members and the wider industry.

There is a shared view that decisions of consequence, particularly those involving potential legal action, must be based on strategically sound advice rather than assumptions about what might succeed or hypothetical legal arguments.

What Is Agreed

• Lawful firearms owners, sporting shooters and firearms businesses are not responsible for acts of criminal violence or extremism.
• The recent reforms are serious and far-reaching, and their real-world impacts should have been properly understood before irreversible decisions were made.
• Unity across shooters, dealers and industry bodies is essential, as division weakens influence and outcomes.
• Member and industry funds must be safeguarded and used responsibly.

Approach

There is strong sentiment within parts of the community to immediately pursue legal action. However, desire alone is not a substitute for legal merit. Any legal action must be based on clearly defined and defensible legal grounds, supported by evidence rather than conjecture, capable of delivering a realistic prospect of success, and proportionate to the financial, strategic and reputational risk involved.

A range of legal avenues is currently being examined, with each assessed on the merits of the advice received. Should a viable legal remedy exist, this process will identify it and allow for decisive action to be taken.

Caution is being exercised to avoid premature or speculative action. Failed legal proceedings do not simply end a case. They can entrench poor outcomes, limit future opportunities for reform and weaken the position of the very community they seek to protect.

Current Focus

While primary legislation has passed, critical decisions remain outstanding. These include regulations, implementation and operational guidance, transitional arrangements for shooting and firearms communities, and compliance frameworks affecting licence holders, clubs and businesses.

This phase presents the most immediate and practical opportunity to influence outcomes. It is where informed, coordinated and evidence-based engagement can still make a meaningful difference.

Commitment

The organisations involved remain united, engaged and committed to protecting lawful firearms ownership, sporting participation and industry viability in New South Wales.

This includes continued firm but responsible advocacy, keeping members and stakeholders informed, rigorous assessment of all credible legal and regulatory options, and acting when action is justified by evidence and presents a genuine prospect of success.

Measured action today preserves the ability to act decisively tomorrow from a position of strength, credibility and unity.

The Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (SSAA) is urgently calling on the national government and leaders of all states and territories to slow their rush for firearm legislation changes and an associated buyback. 

“The rapid-fire announcements for change out of Canberra are chaotic and will not protect the Australian community from similar terrorist incidents in the future” stated SSAA CEO, Tom Kenyon. 

“There has been significant information provided publicly that firmly indicates the alleged Bondi terrorists were not “fit and proper persons” to hold firearms licences under the existing legislative framework” Mr Kenyon added. 

Knowing that the individuals involved in this incident had been on the radar of national security agencies for years yet were still approved to hold firearm licences is deeply concerning to SSAA members, and all lawful firearm owners, who trust and rely on regulating agencies for their security, and for the appropriate application of current regulatory provisions. 

Mr Kenyon noted that “this is reminiscent of information sharing gaps highlighted in other terrorist incidents, such as Lindt Café, where the coroner’s report specifically spoke to a need to review existing information sharing arrangements between federal, state and territory agencies during terrorist events to ensure there is efficient identification and transfer of pertinent information between agencies”. 

The SSAA has stated that proposals from National Cabinet this week, including limiting numbers and types of firearms, would not have prevented the individuals undertaking their horrific actions, and foreseeably are not the solution to preventing future similar incidents. 

Mr Kenyon added that “the gun buyback will be a significant cost to taxpayers at both a state/territory and national level without any evidence that it is productive. Good policy is good politics, and there seems to be a current push for announcements, as opposed to leadership and policies that will lead to a safer Australia.

Re-posted from SSAA Inc. 

Chaotic Gun Buyback Proposal  – Sporting Shooters’ Association of Australia (SSAA)