Consultation on Arms Act rewrite to begin

Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee has welcomed Cabinet's decision to undertake public consultation on the rewrite of the Arms Act 1983.

"Phase four of my firearms reforms is the rewrite of the Act and, as promised, we will be consulting with the New Zealand public. The consultation period will open in January and run through until the end of February," Mrs McKee says.

"It has been more than 40 years since the Act was enacted. Throughout the years, it has been amended several times, often at pace. Importantly, the Act has been changed to respond to serious events in New Zealand history where there were many deaths involving firearms.

"I acknowledge the tragic events that have led to previous changes in the Act. However, these changes were often made quickly, they did not include a thorough review of the overall Act, and nor did we become safer because of them. We have not conducted a systemic review or undertaken an open debate about what a modern firearms regime should deliver to the community.

"This Government wants to rewrite the Act so a fit-for-purpose regime can be put in place to provide for greater protection of public safety and simplify regulatory requirements to improve compliance."

"Most firearms users are law abiding and responsible people. Many New Zealanders use firearms to hunt for food for their families, to control introduced pests, in farming and agriculture, and in sporting and competitive events. All these activities are legitimate. They are all important because they benefit communities and help protect our natural environment."

"The safety of our communities is at the heart of an effective firearms regime; it is important that everyone has confidence in how firearms are controlled. For that reason, everyone has a role to play in the rewrite of the Act. This upcoming round of public consultation is the first step in hearing from all New Zealanders about their views."

The submissions on the discussion document will feed into the policy development process led by the Ministry of Justice. Following policy development, the Government will introduce a bill to Parliament and the public will have a further opportunity to make submissions on the proposed changes through the select committee process. The bill is expected to be introduced in late 2025.

The discussion document and further details on the public consultation will be available on the Ministry of Justice website from 13 January 2025. Submissions will close on 28 February 2025.