https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-21/ ... /101876102
Almost 18,000 firearms and weapons have been surrendered during the first year of a permanent national amnesty, but authorities remain unsure about just how many rifles, shotguns and handguns remain in the community.
Key points:
The government has released the results from the first year of its permanent gun amnesty
Thousands of weapons were surrendered, including fully automatic firearms, crossbows and a flamethrower
Nearly half of people who surrendered a weapon said they simply no longer wanted it
The amnesty was set up in mid-2021, to complement existing state and territory schemes — and followed amnesties announced after the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, and a three-month program in 2017.
The program's annual report, released today, revealed 17,543 firearms and weapons were surrendered from July 1, 2021, through to June 30, 2022, along with 606 firearms parts and accessories.
New South Wales recorded the largest haul, with 6,704 weapons and firearms surrendered. And 2,352 were destroyed as a result of being surrendered.
Across the country, more than 8,000 rifles and almost 3,000 shotguns were surrendered, while almost 2 tonnes of ammunition were collected in the ACT, New South Wales and Tasmania.
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