On 30 August 2022, several changes to firearm storage laws will begin. It is recommended that firearm owners, and potential firearm owners familiarise themselves with the changes and prepare themselves to make any changes necessary prior to the change to the law.
Current and future firearm owners must (where applicable) make sure their firearm storage complies with these changes.
Many current firearm owners will already have storage which meets the updated standards. This particularly applies if they have a purpose built, commercially manufactured gun safe.
All firearm owners should check their current storage against the new requirements. They should prepare to replace or upgrade their arrangements before 30 August 2022.
Victoria Police divisional firearms officers can provide advice about individual circumstances.
SSAA Victoria also offers a convenient and secure storage solution for members at the Springvale Range. You can find more information on this service here.
The new requirements as written in the Firearms Act are:
The firearm must be stored in a purpose-built
steel storage receptacle that—
(a) is of a thickness of at least 1⸱6 mm that
complies with Australian/New Zealand
Standard 1594:2002 (as amended from
time to time); and
(b) if the receptacle weighs less than
150 kilograms when it is empty, must
be bolted to the structure of the
premises where the firearm is
authorised to be kept; and
(c) is locked with a lock of sturdy
construction when the firearm is stored
in it.
Victoria Police have issued advice and guidance on the changes that we reproduce below. That guidance states that “Receptacles must be purpose built for firearm storage. This means they were specifically built to keep firearms in.”
This was examined in the Parliamentary debate on the changes. The following excerpt from Hansard is relevant:
Ms TIERNEY: The underlying purpose of it is that it is a safe, and the whole reason this provision
has been brought in is that there has been a reasonably high level of theft of these categories of firearms.
Mr RICH-PHILLIPS: Thank you, Minister. So for the avoidance of doubt, can you confirm that
a bank safe and the safe you referred to at Bunnings which is not labelled ‘gun safe’ but is a safe those types of safes—would be acceptable for this provision which requires a purpose-built steel
storage receptacle?
Ms TIERNEY: That is correct.
Mr RICH-PHILLIPS: That is all, thanks. Thank you, Minister.
Ms BATH: Just following on from that—thanks, Minister; you have been really instructive and
clarified a great deal this evening—one of my constituents actually raised a point, and he said in
relation to the locker or the container:
I hope that steel is not the only material that can be used, as my storage is a concrete vault weighing several
tonnes. Far superior to any gun safe on the market.
So I am making the assumption that I can tell this gentleman that if it is currently being used and it is
to the standard that he said, that is reasonable in this case.
Ms TIERNEY: Yes. What this does is create a minimum standard.
SSAA Victoria advises shooters who have a safe that is different from the technical standards listed in the legislation or the advice from Victoria Police (below) to clarify their specific situation with their Divisional Firearms Officer.
The advice below is from Victoria Police:
The new requirements
From 30 August 2022, the following must be met to ensure compliance with the law:
Firearms must be stored in a purpose-built steel storage receptacle
The steel must be of a thickness of at least 1.6mm (which complies with Australian/New Zealand Standard 1594:2002).
If the receptacle weighs less than 150 kilograms when it is empty, it must be bolted to the structure of the premises.
The receptacle must be locked with a lock of sturdy construction when the firearm is stored in it.
What firearm owners must do
Victorian firearm owners must check their current storage against the new requirements.
Receptacles must be purpose built for firearm storage. This means they were specifically built to keep firearms in.
The upcoming storage changes also apply to:
- people who are newly licensed or applying for a licence
- people who plan to buy or get a firearm.
Materials
The new storage conditions mean that licence holders must not store firearms in receptacles built of hard wood.
In addition, firearms must not be stored in receptacles built of steel that is less than 1.6mm in thickness.
Placement of firearm storage receptacles – category A or B longarms
This brings the storage of category A and B longarms into line with current requirements for category C, D, and general category handguns.
This means that if the storage receptacle weighs less that 150kg (when empty) it must be bolted to the structure of the premises.
Locks for firearm receptacles
When firearms are stored in the receptacle, it must be locked with a lock of sturdy construction.
All references to locks in Schedule 4 of the Act will now use this language.
Safekeeping of firearms and ammunition while being carried or used
There are specific legislative requirements for the safekeeping of firearms and cartridge ammunition while they are being carried or used.
Regardless of the type of firearm, it is a requirement that a person carrying or using a firearm or cartridge ammunition must:
- Ensure that the firearm/cartridge ammunition is carried or used in a manner that is secure and is not dangerous.
- Take reasonable precautions to ensure that the firearm/cartridge ammunition is not lost or stolen.
Safekeeping of firearms when being transported in vehicles
While the guidelines are aimed at minimising risk, licence holders should consider all factors that may contribute to firearms being transported in a manner that is not secure or in a way that presents a danger.
In most circumstances firearms should be transported in the following manner:
- Firearms should be transported in a padded cover or hard case, unloaded and preferably rendered inoperable.
- While being transported, firearms and ammunition should be kept out of sight and stored in separate receptacles that are either secured to the inside of your vehicle or in a lockable component of your vehicle.
- Cartridge ammunition must be stored separately from firearms in a part of the vehicle not readily accessible by an unauthorised person – a lockable glove box would suffice provided the key to the glove box is kept securely by the holder of the firearm licence and cannot be accessed by persons unauthorised to possess ammunition or firearms.
You should exercise a common sense approach to storage when transporting their firearms and be mindful of all of their obligations. You should also be mindful of considerations over and above legislation to ensure firearms are not lost or stolen.
This advice is a guide only and does not override storage requirements imposed by other regulatory frameworks. For example, there are storage requirements imposed under the Wildlife (Game) Regulations2012 when hunting in a deer habitat.
General storage considerations
- Care should be taken to avoid leaving firearms stored at unoccupied premises for extended durations, particularly in remote locations. Identifiers of the possible existence of firearms at a premise (such as firearm stickers on cars) should also be avoided.
- It is a requirement that cartridge ammunition must be stored in a locked container separate from the storage unit in which the firearm is stored. It is acceptable to have a purpose-built storage unit that has two separate lockable compartments (one for firearms and one for ammunition). This is classified as separate storage areas, and therefore suitable. The key consideration is that firearms cannot be readily accessed by persons not authorised to do so.
