Gun clubs raise alarm at Junee roundtable

MEMBER for Cootamundra Steph Cooke has held a firearms roundtable in Junee, urging the NSW Labor Government to consult gun clubs, licence holders and rural stakeholders before finalising the regulations that will underpin the state’s new firearms laws.

Ms Cooke said the regulations—still to be released—will determine how the legislation is enacted and enforced, and argued there is “still time” for policymakers to sit down with regional communities to ensure the rules are practical.

The Junee meeting brought together representatives from gun clubs across the electorate, including Junee, Ganmain, Cootamundra, Temora, Ardlethan, Boorowa, Grenfell, West Wyalong and Ungarie, to discuss how the changes could affect regional licence holders.

Ms Cooke said attendees—many of whom require firearms for primary production, hunting and/or competitive shooting—described the legislation as “unworkable” in its current form, while also identifying ways the supporting regulations could be drafted to better reflect on-the-ground realities.

NSW Parliament passed the Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2025 on December 24, 2025, with the NSW Government describing the package as the state’s toughest gun law reforms “in a generation”.

The reforms include a cap of four firearms for recreational licence holders, with exemptions allowing up to 10 firearms for primary producers, as well as mandatory gun club membership for all firearms licence holders.

The changes also shift licence renewals from five years to two years and introduce new compliance requirements for clubs, including use of the GunSafe online platform and safe-storage inspections before permits are issued.

Ms Cooke said the laws were rushed through parliament without consultation with key bodies or the support of the NSW Nationals, and have since drawn criticism from primary producers, hunters, competitive shooters and regional communities.

Steph Cooke hosted a firearms roundtable at the Junee Ex-Services Memorial Club | Photo: Facebook/Steph Cooke MP

She said stakeholders at the Junee roundtable were particularly concerned about how the caps and mandatory club membership will work in practice for farmers, hunters and competitors—especially across long distances—and warned of an “impossible” administrative load for volunteer-run regional clubs.

“This firearms legislation is completely impractical for effective pest management, and the future of sport shooting in the state of NSW,” Ms Cooke said.

“Without regulations that reflect the realities of our rural communities, our volunteer gun clubs will face an impossible administrative burden, our licence holders will be forced to pay more for less, and our state’s biosecurity will be jeopardised.”

Ms Cooke said clubs and licence holders raised concerns the firearm caps do not account for people with multiple genuine reasons for ownership, including the need for different calibres for humane pest management or participation across multiple shooting disciplines.

She also said mandatory club membership could impose new costs and participation requirements on some primary producers who are not currently members, including those who live hours from the nearest club or have no interest in competition shooting.

The roundtable also heard concerns about volunteer capacity and infrastructure, with Ms Cooke warning clubs could be swamped by paperwork, vetting responsibilities and membership administration without additional support.

She said the shift to two-year renewals could increase pressure on the NSW Firearms Registry and add to costs for licence holders, while heirloom and ceremonial firearms—including inherited items kept for sentimental or historical reasons—may also be affected by the caps.

Ms Cooke said the Junee roundtable was the kind of stakeholder engagement she wants the NSW Government to undertake before final regulations are settled.

“No matter what your opinion is about firearms ownership, the new legislation will fail to work in practice unless the regulations address the glaring issues being raised by gun clubs and firearms owners,” she said.

“I want to thank the gun clubs of the Cootamundra electorate for their valuable insight and reaffirm my commitment to combating this poor legislation.”

Ms Cooke’s comments come amid broader national reforms, with the Commonwealth government last week passing its own legislation that includes provisions to establish a national gun buyback scheme.