NSW Gun Industry Warns of Plummeting Sales, Calls for Buyback to Be Scrapped

The firearms industry in New South Wales is sounding the alarm, warning that proposed gun buyback schemes are out of step with a market already in sharp decline. As reported by ABC Australia, the sector faces a crisis driven by recent regulatory changes and lengthy bureaucratic processes, not a need for further buybacks.

“

Not only are we sitting on stock left over from Christmas, we have numerous lay-bys and deposits on firearms that have not been picked up

Nicky Bourke, a gun shop owner from Dubbo, paints a stark picture of the impact, detailing a 90% drop in business. She notes that customers are failing to collect firearms they've already paid for, either because they've hit new ownership limits or are deterred by the reforms. Bourke's own business has had to lay off casual staff, a far cry from its previously thriving state.

Gary Georgiou, director of a Sydney gun shop, corroborates these findings, reporting a 70% decrease in sales. He points to significant delays in license and permit approvals, some stretching back to before Christmas, effectively halting new purchases. This administrative bottleneck, coupled with uncertainty about future regulations, is creating a climate of hesitancy among potential buyers.

“

We've had licence applications that have gone in just before Christmas, just after the Bondi terror attack, and they've yet to receive their licences

Both Bourke and Georgiou, along with the Shooting Industry Foundation of Australia, are critical of the proposed buyback. They argue it's a misdirected effort and a "waste of money," suggesting that only unwanted or non-functional firearms would be surrendered. From their perspective, the focus should be on addressing the practical barriers faced by licensed owners and the industry, rather than implementing measures they believe will have little impact on safety while severely damaging legitimate businesses.

“

All people are going to do is hand in their rubbish guns or guns that don't work or the guns that they don't care about and then potentially buy new ones