COLFO Press release
COLFO calls on licensed firearm owners for a flood of select committee submissions to strengthen and lock in the new Arms Act Bill for the next 50 years. The reforms promise relief from red tape and harassment, but fall short on reinstating semi-automatics, fully separating licensing from the Police, and ending warrantless searches. COLFO spokesperson Hugh Devereux-Mack says the Bill will vastly improve the quality of life for licensed firearm owners.
“The red tape, harassment, and treatment of licensed firearm owners as second-class citizens will be addressed with this Bill. This is our chance to lock in fair treatment and protection of people with a genuine use for firearms and turn the focus of regulators and Police on criminals.
“We urge every licensed firearm owner to submit to the Select Committee, explaining why they have a licence, and the benefits and challenges of the proposed changes,” says Hugh Devereux-Mack.
He says COLFO is “very disappointed” that the Firearms Licensing Authority was not being fully separated from Police, but the removal of Police staff would ensure more independence.
“The bureaucratic estimation of the cost of separation is a nonsense number, but we can understand the Government not wanting to put good money after bad.
“The firearm owning public’s trust in Police has suffered irreparable damage since 2019. Police evaded accountability for operational shortcomings that had them grant a terrorist a firearms license, and then instead blamed law-abiding owners.
Their warrantless search powers stripped licence holders of basic rights afforded even to known gang members. And repeated instances of intimidation and overreach have compounded this erosion of confidence. As such, we welcome the removal of Police from the regulatory authority.”
Hugh Devereux-Mack says the Bill will vastly improve the quality of life for licensed firearm owners.
“There will be disappointment in the community over failure to reinstate legality for semi-automatic rifles. “This Bill is not a ground-up rewrite we were promised by Act, and clearly concessions have been made to appease the coalition partners at the expense of evidence-based law-making.”
It is a fair reset, clearing away most of the unfair and unhelpful focus on licensed firearm owners, rather than criminals. He expressed hope that new pathways will be considered for experienced firearm owners with a demonstrated need for specialty firearms, and more stringent licence conditions will be explored as part of the select committee process.
Hugh Devereux-Mack says COLFO is disappointed at the absence of a refined definition of a ‘fit and proper licensed firearm owner’, which has been used to bully and target law-abiding people, and would like police to be stripped of their ability to conduct warrantless searches of licensed firearm owners’ homes.
“The single-most common complaint from Licensed Firearm Owners is unfair and intimidating treatment by Police. This Bill signals a change in attitude, finally restoring some of the respect and mana that was stolen from licensed firearm owners who are among the most vetted, and law-abiding citizens in New Zealand.”
For further information contact COLFO Spokesperson:
Hugh Devereux-Mack
Phone: 027 362 0853
Email: hugh@colfo.org.nz
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Hunters and firearm owners must back COLFO by participating. Apathy is the biggest danger. There should be no room for apathy – if you care!
The new Arms Act will give much greater public safety by making it much more difficult for criminals to get firearms. At the same time, there’ll be less red tape for law abiding firearm owners. Thank you Nicole McKee. Now it is time for submissions to the Select Committee.
This is a crucial opportunity for New Zealand’s licensed firearm community to have their voices heard. The proposed Arms Act reforms represent a significant step toward evidence-based firearms regulation that distinguishes between law-abiding licensed owners and criminals.
The call for submissions is particularly important. For too long, firearms policy has been driven by reactive responses rather than practical experience from those who actually use firearms responsibly for legitimate purposes – whether for hunting, pest control, sport shooting, or farming operations.
While the Bill may not achieve everything COLFO sought (such as full separation from Police or reinstatement of certain semi-automatics), it does address many of the regulatory overreach issues that have unfairly targeted vetted, law-abiding citizens. The reduction in red tape and the shift toward focusing enforcement resources on actual criminals rather than harassing licensed owners is long overdue.
The establishment of a more independent Firearms Licensing Authority, even if not completely separated from Police, is a step in the right direction for restoring public confidence in the regulatory system.
I encourage all licensed firearm owners to participate in the submission process. Apathy will only ensure that practical voices are not heard. Share your legitimate use cases, explain the challenges you face, and help the Select Committee understand how firearms regulation affects responsible New Zealanders who have already passed rigorous vetting processes.
This is our opportunity to help create sensible, effective firearms legislation that can serve New Zealand well for the next 50 years.
Can you explain to those of us technologically challenged how we can participate in the submission process?
Hi Steve
Happy to help! It’s actually quite straightforward, and you can do it either online or by post:
IMPORTANT: The new Arms Legislation Bill hasn’t been introduced to Parliament yet, so the Select Committee submission period hasn’t opened. The bill is expected to be introduced in late 2025, and the submission deadline will be announced when that happens.
When submissions do open, here’s how to participate:
Online method:
Go to the Parliament website: https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/make-a-submission/
Find the Arms Legislation Bill in the list of bills currently open for submissions
Click “Make a submission” – you can write directly into their online form, or upload a document (Word or PDF)
By post (no internet required):
Simply write or type your submission as a letter and post it to:
[Committee Name] Secretariat
Parliament Buildings
Wellington 6160
(The specific committee will be announced when the bill is introduced)
What to include:
Share your story – explain why you have a firearms licence, how you use firearms (hunting, pest control, sport shooting, farming etc.), and what you think about the proposed changes. It doesn’t need to be fancy, just honest and from your experience. Include your name and contact details.
Stay informed: Keep an eye on the COLFO website and Parliament’s website for announcements about when the bill is introduced and when submissions open.
Nice explanation Andi, let’s hope people will follow your advice!
Just recall the knee jerk – or calculated – extreme, pointless way in which the Ardern/Hipkins Labour government moved following the 2019 Mosque shooting by an Australian terrorist who was on watch lists reportedly in UK and Australia.
Yet the police granted him a firearm licence and when an ammunition retailer warned of the gunman’s purchase of a “few” thousand rounds of ammunition, the police did nothing.
There were glaring shortcomings in the gunman’s licence application (e.g. no credible referees) but the police gave him a firearms licence.
The Labour government should have been probing into that instead of targeting law abiding firearm owning citizens.
Go COLFO
While this Arms Legislation Bill represents progress in many areas, the failure to reinstate semi-automatic rifles is a significant disappointment for New Zealand’s farming community.
For farmers managing large properties, semi-automatic rifles aren’t about firepower – they’re practical tools for efficient pest control and animal welfare. When dealing with feral pigs destroying pasture, goats wreaking havoc on regenerating bush, or rabbits undermining farm infrastructure, the ability to deliver quick follow-up shots isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity for humane and effective management.
The current restrictions force farmers into less efficient alternatives. Bolt-action rifles mean wounded animals escaping to suffer and die slowly, or requiring multiple trips across vast terrain to complete necessary culling operations. This isn’t just inconvenient; it’s poor animal welfare and ineffective biosecurity management.
Licensed farmers have proven themselves to be among New Zealand’s most responsible firearm owners. They undergo rigorous vetting, store firearms securely, and use them as working tools rather than recreational items. The blanket prohibition punishes this law-abiding group for the actions of a single criminal who should never have been granted a licence in the first place.
Evidence-based policy should recognize the legitimate needs of primary producers. Specialized endorsements with stringent conditions could allow experienced farmers access to semi-automatic rifles while maintaining public safety. Instead, we’re left with regulations that ignore practical realities of rural land management.
Much thanks to Hugh Devereaux-Mack of COLFO and Nicola McKee, MP.
Now it’s up to recreational hunters to support them, get off their backsides and make submissions and for farmers to stop whinging and let bona-fide recreational hunters access, if the farmers have a deer problem.
Do a detect a whiff of the old 1930s Deer Menace Conference? The “pest phobia” is well ingrained into NZ pysche. Learn to live with wildlife, in this case deer, and manage numbers.
Management is the key.
Yes licensed law-abiding firearm owners have a role to play in management of wild game in harvesting numbers.