Meanwhile, people who have protection orders against them were also likely to be refused a licence.
The main reasons for licences being revoked were because the holder was charged or convicted with a crime that could lead to jail time, or it was not appropriate for them to continue to hold a licence.
People also lost their licences when they failed to follow the rules laid out in the Arms Act [1983].
Protection orders and failing training tests saw people refused a firearms licence.
Gun Control NZ co-founder and researcher Philippa Yasbek was concerned some licence holders were not appropriately filtered out.
She felt the number of revoked and refused licences was low, given there were 12,740 licence holders in Northland as of February and believed people with serious convictions 10 years ago should still be automatically disqualified from having a firearm licence.
Gun Control NZ co-founder Philippa Yasbek said there needed to be more protections put in place when it comes to firearms licensing.
”If you have crossed that line, you probably shouldn’t be using firearms.”
Past convictions do not automatically disqualify applicants, as their application was considered individually.
Yasbek said Gun Control NZ was pushing for a five-year licensing renewal period rather than 10 years.
“A big reason for that is a lot can happen in people’s lives over 10 years. There are big risk factors for people going off the rails and committing crimes.”
Relationship breakdowns or bankruptcy were possible triggers that may lead to hurting others or themselves, she said.
Yasbek said firearms reform should include potentially refusing or revoking licences for health and safety offences.
“Offences against health and safety legislation or dangerous driving are indicators that someone doesn’t care about other people’s safety.”
Former firearms collector and shooter Phil Cregreen felt the Arms Act rewrite, expected to be brought to Parliament later this year, was a welcome change.
He felt that since 2020, the rules had become difficult to understand.
Cregreen felt that refusing people for health and safety or dangerous driving should be on a case-by-case basis.
He questioned whether refusing a licence due to minor driving offences was justified, but believed convictions for serious offences such as dangerous driving causing injury were.
The 80-year-old recently surrendered his licence due to his age, after owning firearms most of his life.
He said Northlanders had licences for various reasons, whether as collectors, gun club members, for recreational hunting or pest control.
“You can imagine just about every farmer has at least two firearms. He will have a shotgun and a rifle.”
Police Association President Chris Cahill said firearms were a necessary part of life in New Zealand.
“We’ve got a significant problem with pests in New Zealand, and hunters and farmers play a really important role in that.”
Cahill said owning a firearm was not a right but a privilege, and that was made clear for licence applicants.
NZ Police Association president Chris Cahill said improvements have been made to safeguard people from harm when it comes to firearm licensing. Photo / Mark Mitchell
He believed improvements had been made since before 2019, such as defining a ‘fit and proper’ person.
Back then, about 99.6% of applications for licences were approved, he said.
“I’d almost say anyone who applied got it.”
Cahill said the numbers released to the NorthernAdvocate signalled a stronger regime.
The data showed the majority of licence holders were responsible and action was taken where required.
Cahill said vetting licenced people should be done fairly and appropriately.
Police have some discretion in the ArmsAct to find relevant reasons for refusal or revocation.
“I would be concerned if that last opportunity was removed.”
Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.
