The Tasmanian Government is committed to consulting with the community about proposed amendments to the Firearms Act 1996.
We are seeking feedback on the Firearms Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2026. The consultation period will be open between 3 July 2026 and 7 August 2026 and can be located on the consultation page of the Tasmania Police website located here: https://www.police.tas.gov.au/consultations/
What is the Firearms Act 1996?
The Act was introduced in 1996 and provides for the regulation, registration and control of firearms in Tasmania.
Purpose of the proposed amendments
The purpose of the amendments is to ready the Firearms Act 1996 for the introduction of the National Firearms Register (NFR) and in the wake of the tragic Bondi incident in 2025 to introduce measures to improve community safety.
The NFR is intended to provide law enforcement agencies with near real-time access to accurate information about registered firearms, firearm licences, permits and other relevant records across Australia.
From a community safety perspective, the NFR is expected to strengthen both public and police safety. It will assist in preventing firearms from being diverted into illicit markets, improve the identification of firearms linked to criminal activity, enhance intelligence sharing between jurisdictions, and provide frontline police with better information when responding to incidents involving firearms.
The Firearms Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2026 includes reclassification and citizenship provisions that will require a buyback of affected firearms. These provisions are relevant to ongoing negotiations with the Australian Government regarding funding for a buyback scheme.
The consultation bill should be read in conjunction with the consultation information sheet that outlines the background and the proposed amendments, and the prepared question and answers.
How to make a submission
We must receive all written submissions by 5pm on Friday 7 August 2026.
You can make a submission by:
EMAIL to submissions.strategy.support@DPFEM.tas.gov.au
POST to Submissions at Strategy and Support, Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management
GPO Box 308
Hobart
TAS 7001
In accordance with the Tasmanian government’s public submissions policy, all submissions will be published on the Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management website at https://www.police.tas.gov.au/consultations/
Parties making a submission may request that the submission is treated as confidential. Reasons are to accompany such a request. A copy of the public submissions policy is available at https://www.dpac.tas.gov.au/