Australian gun ownership soars despite controversies

You’d think in the midst of mass shootings overseas and gun-related crime that Australians wouldn’t be contributing to the problem but unfortunately, we are.

It’s been reported that there’s been a massive rise in the number of registered guns in NSW, with a spike in gun ownership within Sydney’s CBD.

The latest figures show there are now more than 850,000 firearms in private hands in the state, which means there is one gun for every nine people – an almost 40 per cent rise since 2001.

NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge told ABC he was so concerned about the surge that his party is going to introduce legislation that will limit the number of firearms people can register.

“When you live in metropolitan parts of the state, we need a reasonable cap on the number of guns,” he said.

“Why should anyone have more than two or three or at most five guns if they live in the middle of metropolitan Sydney?

“That’s what politicians are refusing to grasp, that most people want a cap on the number of guns that their neighbours can own”.

Registered guns outnumber people in 22 of NSW’s 600 postcodes, a fact that is highly concerning.

In 22 of the state’s 600 postcodes, registered guns now outnumber people.

“The sheer number of guns in fairly ordinary metropolitan parts of Sydney really shocks people,” Mr Shoebridge said.

He said that both major parties are scared of the gun lobby and refuse to make amendments to John Howard’s firearm laws, but that’s what we need now.

“They were good laws when they were passed but there is loophole after loophole being found in them and we need to be closing those loopholes”.

He said community safety is paramount and people want to feel safe from gun crime and illegal use.

But gun enthusiasts aren’t happy, with Kym McEwen, the secretary of the central coast branch of the Shooters and Fishers Party and secretary of the NSW Sporting and Recreation Club saying, “It’s not all rednecks [using guns]. You’ve got doctors, you’ve got nurses, you’ve got barristers. It’s across the board”. But is that an excuse?

Tell us, should it be illegal for someone to carry multiple guns? Do you feel safe from gun crime?