Cross-border inconsistency in gun laws highlighted as Victoria rejects ownership caps

The Allan Government in Victoria has announced that it will accept 15 of the recommendations from the Rapid Review into Victoria’s Firearm Laws, including introducing a citizenship requirement for firearms licence holders and tougher penalties for firearms tracking.

Something they won’t act on is limiting the number of firearms a licence holder can own, and they won’t participate in the national buyback. Instead, Allan said they will focus on “weeding out evil people who get their hands on one single gun”.

The problem is that many illegal guns started their life as a legally owned firearm.

Australia Institute research has shown that theft of licensed firearms is the single biggest source of new firearms going onto the black market. If the Allan Government is serious about limiting criminal access to firearms, then limiting the number of guns in the community is a good place to start.

Responding to the news, the Alannah & Madeleine Foundation commented,

Introducing limits on the number of firearms individuals can own and supporting a national buyback scheme are among the most effective measures available to reduce firearm proliferation, limit theft and diversion risks, and prevent the accumulation of large private stockpiles.

Refusing to introduce firearm caps makes Victoria out of step with other states including NSW and WA, which have already legislated firearm ownership limits, as well as the ACT, where a recent inquiry into firearms recommended ownership caps. The new laws in NSW are already working: the number of guns in NSW has gone down for the first time in decades.

In the ACT, one of the reasons for introducing a cap is to bring the legislation closer in line with NSW. At the recent ACT inquiry into firearms, one shooting advocate spoke of the difficulty running a business that operated in different states. He noted, “Regardless of the fact that my ACT licence is current, that I own the firearm and it is registered, if I cross over the border to a state where it is in a different category, it is a firearms offence.” Inconsistent laws between NSW and Victoria can only contribute to cross-border confusion.

Aside from the hazards of inconsistent legislation, the decision not to cap firearms does not meet community expectations. Australia Institute polling published at the start of 2025 and Sydney Morning Herald polling after the horrors of the Bondi massacre in December last year both showed that most Australians want strict firearm legislation – regardless of where they are on the political spectrum.

Australia needs consistent firearm laws across jurisdictions given the ease of crossing borders. While some states have been proactive, legislating caps on the number of firearms an individual can own, the Allan Government is missing a major opportunity to introduce laws in line with community sentiment. Such a move would be popular with the majority of voters and be a step in the right direction for community safety.