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FIREARMS ACT 1973 - NOTES

Notes

1 This is a compilation of the Firearms Act 1973 and includes the amendments made by the other written laws referred to in the following table 1a. The table also contains information about any reprint.

Compilation table

Short title

Number and year

Assent

Commencement

Firearms Act 1973

36 of 1973

18 Oct 1973

1 Jul 1974 (see s. 2 and Gazette 29 Mar 1974 p. 1027)

Firearms Act Amendment Act 1976

61 of 1976

16 Sep 1976

16 Sep 1976

Firearms Act Amendment Act 1978

54 of 1978

6 Sep 1978

6 Sep 1978

Firearms Amendment Act 1980

35 of 1980

5 Nov 1980

24 Jul 1981 (see s. 2 and Gazette 24 Jul 1981 p. 3060)

Reprint of the Firearms Act 1973 approved 22 Apr 1983 (includes amendments listed above)

Firearms Amendment Act 1983

3 of 1983

1 Aug 1983

1 Aug 1983

Acts Amendment (Financial Administration and Audit) Act 1985 s. 3 3

98 of 1985

4 Dec 1985

1 Jul 1986 (see s. 2 and Gazette 30 Jun 1986 p. 2255)

Firearms Amendment Act 1987

70 of 1987

22 Nov 1987

s. 1 and 2: 22 Nov 1987;
Act other than s. 1 and 2: 1 Oct 1989 (see s. 2 and Gazette 29 Sep 1989 p. 3665)

Financial Administration Legislation Amendment Act 1993 s. 11

6 of 1993

27 Aug 1993

1 Jul 1993 (see s. 2(1))

Statutes (Repeals and Minor Amendments) Act 1994 s. 4

73 of 1994

9 Dec 1994

9 Dec 1994 (see s. 2)

Firearms Amendment Act 1994

90 of 1994

5 Jan 1995

5 Jan 1995 (see s. 2)

Sentencing (Consequential Provisions) Act 1995 Pt. 33

78 of 1995

16 Jan 1996

4 Nov 1996 (see s. 2 and Gazette 25 Oct 1996 p. 5632)

Security and Related Activities (Control) Act 1996 s. 96

27 of 1996

22 Jul 1996

1 Apr 1997 (see s. 2 and Gazette 27 Mar 1997 p. 1693)

Financial Legislation Amendment Act 1996 s. 64

49 of 1996

25 Oct 1996

25 Oct 1996 (see s. 2(1))

Firearms Amendment Act 1996 4

59 of 1996

11 Nov 1996

s. 1-3: 11 Nov 1996;
Act other than s. 1-3 and 16: 6 Dec 1996 (see s. 3(1) and Gazette 6 Dec 1996 p. 6699); s. 16: 1 Apr 1997 (see s. 3(2) and Gazette 27 Mar 1997 p. 1693)

Reprint of the Firearms Act 1973 as at 22 Jan 1997 (includes amendments listed above except those in the Security and Related Activities (Control) Act 1996 and the Firearms Amendment Act 1996 s. 16)

Restraining Orders Act 1997 s. 84

19 of 1997

28 Aug 1997

15 Sep 1997 (see s. 2 and Gazette 12 Sep 1997 p. 5149)

Weapons Act 1999 s. 21

18 of 1999

16 Jun 1999

1 Sep 1999 (see s. 2(1) and Gazette 31 Aug 1999 p. 4235)

Reprint of the Firearms Act 1973 as at 11 Aug 2000 (includes amendments listed above)

Corporations (Consequential Amendments) Act 2001 s. 220

10 of 2001

28 Jun 2001

15 Jul 2001 (see s. 2 and Gazette 29 Jun 2001 p. 3257 and Cwlth Gazette 13 Jul 2001 No. S285)

Acts Amendment (Equality of Status) Act 2003 Pt. 21

28 of 2003

22 May 2003

1 Jul 2003 (see s. 2 and Gazette 30 Jun 2003 p. 2579)

Sentencing Legislation Amendment and Repeal Act 2003 s. 62

50 of 2003

9 Jul 2003

15 May 2004 (see s. 2 and Gazette 14 May 2004 p. 1445)

Criminal Code Amendment Act 2004 s. 58

4 of 2004

23 Apr 2004

21 May 2004 (see s. 2)

Courts Legislation Amendment and Repeal Act 2004 s. 141 5

59 of 2004 (as amended by No. 2 of 2008 s. 77(13))

23 Nov 2004

1 May 2005 (see s. 2 and Gazette 31 Dec 2004 p. 7128)

State Administrative Tribunal (Conferral of Jurisdiction) Amendment and Repeal Act 2004 Pt. 2 Div. 49 6, 7

55 of 2004

24 Nov 2004

1 Jan 2005 (see s. 2 and Gazette 31 Dec 2004 p. 7130)

Firearms Amendment Act 2004 8, 9

69 of 2004 (as amended by No. 8 of 2009 s. 59)

8 Dec 2004

s. 13 and 21: 8 Dec 2004 (see s. 2(3));
Act other than s. 13, 17, 21, 22(4)(a) and 26: 1 Jan 2005 (see s. 2 and Gazette 24 Dec 2004 p. 6265);
s. 17: 1 Feb 2005 (see s. 2 and Gazette 24 Dec 2004 p. 6265);
s. 22(4)(a) and 26 deleted by No. 8 of 2009 s. 59

Criminal Procedure and Appeals (Consequential and Other Provisions) Act 2004 s. 80

84 of 2004

16 Dec 2004

2 May 2005 (see s. 2 and Gazette 31 Dec 2004 p. 7129 (correction in Gazette 7 Jan 2005 p. 53))

Reprint 4: The Firearms Act 1973 as at 1 Jul 2005 (includes amendments listed above)

Psychologists Act 2005 s. 108

28 of 2005

12 Dec 2005

4 May 2007 (see s. 2 and Gazette 4 May 2007 p. 1963)

Nurses and Midwives Act 2006 s. 114

50 of 2006

6 Oct 2006

19 Sep 2007 (see s. 2 and Gazette 18 Sep 2007 p. 4711)

Criminal Investigation (Consequential Provisions) Act 2006 s. 73

59 of 2006

16 Nov 2006

1 Jul 2007 (see s. 2 and Gazette 22 Jun 2007 p. 2838)

Financial Legislation Amendment and Repeal Act 2006 s. 4 and 17

77 of 2006

21 Dec 2006

1 Feb 2007 (see s. 2(1) and Gazette 19 Jan 2007 p. 137)

Medical Practitioners Act 2008 s. 162

22 of 2008

27 May 2008

1 Dec 2008 (see s. 2 and Gazette 25 Nov 2008 p. 4989)

Reprint 5: The Firearms Act 1973 as at 9 Jan 2009 (includes amendments listed above)

Statutes (Repeals and Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 2009 s. 58

8 of 2009

21 May 2009

22 May 2009 (see s. 2(b))

1a On the date as at which this compilation was prepared, provisions referred to in the following table had not come into operation and were therefore not included in this compilation. For the text of the provisions see the endnotes referred to in the table.

Provisions that have not come into operation

Short title

Number and year

Assent

Commencement

Biosecurity and Agriculture Management (Repeal and Consequential Provisions) Act 2007 s. 37 10

24 of 2007

12 Oct 2007

To be proclaimed (see s. 2(1))

Security and Related Activities (Control) Amendment Act 2008 s. 81 11

4 of 2008

2 Apr 2008

To be proclaimed (see s. 2(b))

2 The provision in this Act repealing the Firearms and Guns Act 1931 has been omitted under the Reprints Act 1984 s. 7(4)(f).

3 The Acts Amendment (Financial Administration and Audit) Act 1985 s. 4 is a savings and transitional provision that is of no further effect.

4 The Firearms Amendment Act 1996 s. 9(2), 10(2), 11(2), 15(2), 39 and 53 are transitional, savings and related provisions that are of no further effect.

5 The Courts Legislation Amendment and Repeal Act 2004 Sch. 2 cl. 19 was repealed by the Criminal Law and Evidence Amendment Act 2008 s. 77(13).

6 The State Administrative Tribunal (Conferral of Jurisdiction) Amendment and Repeal Act 2004 Pt. 5, the State Administrative Tribunal Act 2004 s. 167 and 169, and the State Administrative Tribunal Regulations 2004 r. 28 and 42 deal with certain transitional issues some of which may be relevant for this Act.

7 The State Administrative Tribunal Regulations 2004 r. 31 reads as follows:

“

31. Firearms Act 1973

(1) In this regulation —

commencement day means the day on which the State Administrative Tribunal (Conferral of Jurisdiction) Amendment and Repeal Act 2004 Part 2 Division 49 comes into operation.

(2) If a matter partly or fully heard before the commencement day by a firearms appeals tribunal, as defined in the Firearms Act 1973 section 22(1) immediately before the commencement day, is transferred to the Tribunal under the Act section 167(4)(b), despite the Act section 39, a person who is a legal practitioner is not to appear as an advocate for, or represent, a party in proceedings before the Tribunal relating to the matter.

”.

8 The Firearms Amendment Act 2004 s. 15(3) reads as follows:

“
(3) The amendments made by this section do not affect the validity of a licence or permit that a person already holds under the Firearms Act 1973 on the day on which this section comes into operation, but on or after that day the grant, issue, or renewal of a licence or permit has to be in accordance with that Act as amended by this section.

”.

9 The Firearms Amendment Act 2004 s. 22(4)(a) and 26 had not come into operation when it was deleted by the Statutes (Repeals and Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 2009 s. 59.

10 On the date as at which this compilation was prepared, the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management (Repeal and Consequential Provisions) Act 2007 s. 37 had not come into operation. It reads as follows:

“
37. Firearms Act 1973 amended

(1) The amendments in this section are to the Firearms Act 1973.

(2) Section 17B(1) is amended by deleting “officer or employee of the Board” and inserting instead —

“ agriculture inspector ”.

(3) Section 17B(3) is amended as follows:

(a) by deleting “officer or employee” and inserting instead —

“ agriculture inspector ”;

(b) in paragraph (c) by deleting “common starlings Sturnus vulgaris” and inserting instead —

“
birds that are declared pests under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007

”.

(4) Section 17B(4) is amended as follows:

(a) by deleting “officer or employee” and inserting instead —

“ agriculture inspector ”;

(b) by deleting “the Board” and inserting instead —

“ the Director General ”.

(5) Section 17B(6) is amended by deleting “officer or employee of the Board” and inserting instead —

“ agriculture inspector ”.

(6) Section 17B(7) is amended by deleting “the Board” in both places where it occurs and inserting instead —

“ the department ”.

(7) Section 17B(8) is amended as follows:

(a) by inserting before the definition of “authority” —

“
agriculture inspector means an inspector appointed under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 section 162;

”;

(b) by inserting after the definition of “Corporate Licence” —

“
department means the department principally assisting in the administration of the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007;

”;

(c) in the definition of “silencer” by deleting the semicolon and inserting instead a full stop;

(d) by deleting the definition of “subsection”;

(e) by deleting the definition of “the Board”.

”.

11 On the date as at which this compilation was prepared, the Security and Related Activities (Control) Amendment Act 2008 s. 81 had not come into operation. It reads as follows:

“
81. Firearms Act 1973 amended

(1) The amendment in this section is to the Firearms Act 1973.

(2) Section 16A is amended by inserting after “section 24” —

“ , or a permit issued under section 25, ”.

”.


Defined Terms

[This is a list of terms defined and the provisions where they are defined. The list is not part of the law.]

Defined Term Provision(s)
ammunition 4
antique mechanism firearm 8(2)
approved 4, 8(2)
approved organisation 23BA(5)
approved shooting club 23BA(5)
authority 17B(8)
carry 4
Commissioner 4
Corporate Licence 17B(8)
deal 4
dealer 4
decision 22(1)
Department 4
Extract of Licence 4
family member 8(2)
firearm 4, 24(9), 25(1)
handgun 4
health professional 23B(3)
holder 4
medical practitioner 4
missile 4
officer 21B(3), 23BA(5)
paintball 4
paintball gun 4
paintball pellets 4
possession 4
registered nurse 23B(3)
section 4
silencer 17B(8)
student of arms 15(4)
subsection 17B(8)
the Board 17B(8)
the provider 30(5)
the receiver 30(5)
violence restraining order 11(4), 27A(2)