The Western Australian Firearms Act 1973 requires firearms to be registered and persons who possess them to be licensed. The Act and the Firearms Regulations 1974, set out the obligations on firearm owners, dealers and repairers, as well as firearm licensing and registration requirements.
The Western Australian Police Force (WAPol) is responsible for the registration and licensing of firearms and the regulation of commercial organisations involved in the sale, manufacture and repair of firearms and ammunition.
The objective of this audit is to determine how effectively the WA Police Force (WAPol) controls and regulates firearms.
Our lines of inquiry are:
- Does WAPol adequately manage the licensing of firearm owners, dealers and repairers?
- Are monitoring programs effective at detecting non-compliance?
- Does the Firearms Registry System support effective regulation?
Tabling is currently anticipated in the first quarter of 2019.