Gun buyback needs to work for farmers - Federated Farmers

The firearms buy-back process must work for rural firearms owners, Federated Farmers says.

Feds says the process will require farmers to travel to collection points to hand over firearms and agree on the value of the surrendered firearm.

A Federated Farmers member survey showed that at least 20 per cent of Feds members had a firearm impacted by the new regulations, and these owners would be looking for good access and a smooth process for the hand-over of firearms and payment of fair compensation.

"The sooner the details of the process, including the number and geographical spread of collection points/events, are clear the better," Federated Farmers Rural Security Spokesperson Miles Anderson said.

"We hope that it will recognise the needs of those who live in our more remote rural locations. The buy-back is likely to be under way at the busiest time of year for farmers. With calving and lambing approaching, the last thing they need at that time of year is a lengthy trip to a major centre to dispose of a firearm."

Miles Anderson

Farmers still needed firearms suitable to undertake pest control.

"Many have indicated that they are waiting for compensation to purchase a replacement firearm that is within the new rules," Anderson said.

"Farmers always look to have the most efficient tool for the job. They will be expecting fair compensation to purchase a replacement that is still suitable to control the pest animals on their farm."

Federated Farmers was pleased to see there would be compensation up to a $300 limit for modifications to some firearms to bring them within the legal requirements. "This will address the concerns of some of our members," Anderson said.

Police Minister Stuart Nash and Finance Minister Grant Robertson announced details of the scheme this morning, following the gun law reform in April that banned most military-style semi-automatics (MSSA) and associated components in response to the Christchurch terror attack that killed 51 people.

Firearms owners and dealers have been waiting since March for the scheme's details, and setting prices too low risks discouraging gun owners from handing in their firearms.

The scheme does not include compensation for illegal firearms handed in by people without a valid firearms licence, sparking questions about how much safer it will make communities.

Nash said those firearms will still be illegal and he expected police to crack down on the owners of those guns.

Police are today releasing an extensive list of guns, each with a price for poor condition (25 per cent of the base price), average condition (70 per cent of the base price), and new or near-new condition (95 per cent of the base price).

The list also includes gun parts - including magazines, silencers, open sights and custom triggers - with a different price setting: 70 per cent of the base price for new or used, and 25 per cent of the base price for poor condition.