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Parliamentary Questions


Question On Notice No. 1392 asked in the Legislative Council on 12 June 2018 by Hon Martin Aldridge

Question Directed to the: Minister for Environment representing the Minister for Police
Parliament: 40 Session: 1


Question

I refer to the requirement for a recreation shooter under Section 11A(2)(c) of the Firearms Act 1973 to obtain written permission of a property owner in order to satisfy the genuine reason for an applicant to use a firearm for hunting and recreational shooting, and I ask:
(a) is the Minister or Western Australia Police aware that property owners are advertising online at sites such as Gumtree the supply of property letters for a fee;
(b) does the practice breach any aspect of the Firearms Act 1973 or subsequent regulations;
(c) does the Minister or Western Australia Police have concern for this practice;
(d) if yes to (c), how does the Government intend to respond;
(e) does Western Australia Police retain data on property owners issuing such letters to firearm applicants; and; and
(f) if yes to (e), what is the single largest number of applications received by Western Australia Police supported by an individual property owner or authorised manager?

Answered on 22 August 2018

(a) and (e)       Yes.

(b)                    The Western Australian Police Force advise no.

(c) – (d)           The Western Australia Police Force advise that this issue was reviewed by Law Reform (LRC) in their review of the Firearms Act 1973. The issue of providing property letters for a fee was not one that the LRCWA review    considered the need to prevent. A landowner who provides written permission to shoot on the landowners land must keep a register and submit it to the licensing authority on request.

(f)                    Since May 2007, when WA Police retained a centralised recording system for property letters, a landowner of 76,333 (763 square kilometres), near Carnarvon has had 1231 letters.