Govt Seeks Public Input on Improving Regulation for Shooting Clubs and Ranges

“Clubs and ranges are crucial for people learning to operate firearms safely, practicing, and competing, and they also serve as valuable community assets,” Minister McKee stated.

The Government is inviting New Zealanders to provide feedback on a new package of proposals aimed at simplifying and improving the regulation of shooting clubs and ranges, Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee announced today.

"Clubs and ranges are crucial for people learning to operate firearms safely, practicing, and competing, and they also serve as valuable community assets," Minister McKee stated.

Minister McKee highlighted that the 2020 law changes had significantly altered the regulatory landscape for shooting clubs and ranges, requiring all shooting clubs to be approved and ranges to be certified, often incurring substantial costs.

"I am concerned these requirements exceed what is necessary to ensure public safety. The current regulations place a heavy burden on the people running clubs and ranges—many of whom are volunteers—and create a risk of closures," she said.

Such closures would negatively impact public safety, McKee noted. "Club members operate many of our ranges, and without them, there would be no safe venues for essential activities like sighting in rifles and educating new licensed firearms owners on firearms safety."

The ACT party's coalition agreement included a commitment to promptly begin repealing and replacing Part 6 of the Arms Act 1983, which pertains to clubs and ranges. "We have been working diligently on this, and today I am pleased to present our proposed changes," McKee announced.

The Ministry of Justice will conduct focused consultations from now through June on a package of proposals designed to offer simple and effective regulation of both pistol and non-pistol shooting clubs and ranges.

"I am eager to hear from stakeholders. Final proposals will be established after the consultation period, with a Bill to be introduced to Parliament later this year," Minister McKee stated.

In the interim, the Government will make a short-term adjustment to the annual reporting requirement for non-pistol clubs.

"Non-pistol shooting clubs have directly expressed concerns to me about the annual report requirement. This feedback highlights the pressures these clubs face. I believe this is an instance of over-regulation without a clear public safety benefit," McKee explained.

This adjustment will serve as a temporary measure, aiding over 100 non-pistol shooting clubs until broader changes to the regulatory requirements for clubs can be addressed in the Arms Act rewrite.

All shooting clubs will need to comply with the current regulations until the proposed changes are implemented.

"I am excited to share my broader programme of firearms law reform with New Zealanders. We need straightforward and effective regulations that enhance the safety of New Zealand communities by keeping firearms out of the hands of those who would misuse them," Minister McKee concluded.