By Confusion and Concern Over NT Firearms “Self-Check” Requirement.
Licensed shooters in the Top End are confused over an order issued by the NT Police that requires every licensed gun owner to take 5 photos of each firearm they own and submit them to police in a “self-check” process.
As part of the Northern Territory’s integration to the National Firearms Registry project, the NT Police have confirmed they have issued an order under sections 91 and 96A of the NT Firearms Act 1997, citing the process as mandatory, and that failure to comply will be dealt with in the same manner as any other detection of non-compliance.
Yet, the entire process to date is causing significant anxiety and confusion among shooters, as many license holders have advised they have not been contacted directly by the NT police, but rather heard about the order on the ‘grapevine’, with NT shooting clubs being asked to ‘pass on word of the requirements’ to their members, leading to the Shooting Industry Foundation of Australia (SIFA) to call for the Northern Territory Police Minister to pull the Firearms Policy and Recording Unit into line, and ensure better communication with all shooters and industry stakeholders.
Investigation by SIFA has revealed the main driver behind this ‘self-check’ process appears to be linked to some $4.5 million in commonwealth funding, with the NT Federal Funding Agreement (FFA) for the National Firearms Register project highlighting the KPI’s the NT Police must demonstrate, include internal “data uplift” projects as well as providing evidence into the delivery of an “uplifted registry and portal”, in order to release the funding.
The Federal Funding Agreement clearly shows the kpi’s required by March 2025 and funding allocated by the Commonwealth government.
Further, in a recent analysis of the data held by the NT registry, SIFA found significant anomalies in the reported figures of registered firearms by the NT Police.
In data obtained by under Freedom of Information in February this year, it states there are 60,172 firearms registered and 15,465 current total licences, yet the 2023-2024 Police, Fire and Emergency Services Annual Report cites that as of 30 June 2024 (7 months ago), there were 73,752 firearms registered in the NT and a total of 17,495 licences, leading to SIFA question why there is such a large discrepancy?
In seeking further clarification, a NT Police spokesperson advised that:
“Ongoing audits have been conducted by the Firearms Policy and Recording Unit which has resulted in the decrease in the data sets you have asked about.”
And (that), “No firearms or licence records have been removed from the registry. The ongoing audit has allowed a significant number of licences and firearms to be updated in the system to reflect their correct status — for example, licence holders who have moved to a different jurisdiction without notifying the registry.”
Given the introduction of the current ‘self-check’ process, and the evidence that the NT registry lacks accuracy, it is clear that the NT Police appear to be forcing gun owners, under threat of criminal charges, to self-report their firearms holdings so they can fix up the mess they have created.
SIFA CEO James Walsh said “Everything we’ve seen leads us to believe the NT firearms register is all over the place, and as a result, the NT police have decided to make law abiding shooters do the work to fix up their mess, under threat of criminal charges for non-compliance. It’s just not good enough!”
Further concerns have been raised with the process being undertaken, as it appears to be rushed to meet project milestones for funding, rather than designed around clear communication, transparency and ease of compliance for NT firearm owners.
SIFA has warned governments around Australia that the NFR rollout cannot be forced down the throat of shooters and the shooting industry, and it must be rolled out in a manner that is clear, practical and done in complete consultation with stakeholders.
As a result of the current situation, SIFA is calling on both the NT Government and the NT Police Minister to stop treating shooters and the shooting industry as an afterthought, and to immediately and thoroughly consult with licensed gun owners and industry.
“We will not accept a non-transparent roll out that is rushed, or where the police offload their responsibilities onto licensed shooters and dealers by force, making them the scapegoat for poorly maintained registry data”.
“We will continue to demand answers and accountability as shooters and businesses deserve transparency, respect and a system that works for them, not against them.” Mr Walsh said.
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