Tasmania Police has so far banned five individual firearms based on their appearance, according to newly-introduced guidelines.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Assistant Commissioner Richard Cowling said following a review of the Sydney Seige in 2014, the nation’s police services agreed to review their own data.
The Firearms Categorisation Guidelines, which were finalised earlier this year, now state that any firearm which substantially duplicates a machine gun or submachine gun cannot be given a licence.
Assistant Commissioner Cowling said even though the single-shot firearms did not operate in the same way as an automatic weapon, they could look the same.
“A total of five people have been contacted by Tasmania Police in relation to the possession of prohibited firearms, based on their appearance,” he said.
“None will be able to keep them as they are firearms for which a licence may not be issued in Tasmania.”
Each firearm is assessed on a case-by-case basis.