(NSW) End Recreational Hunting as a ‘Genuine Reason’ for Gun Ownership

Bianca-Rose Sun
3 days ago
9 min read

Author: Bianca-Rose Sun | Publish date: 23/5/2026

Content Warning: Gun violence, Mention of the December 2025 Bondi Attack

P: In NSW, any person aged 18 and over can apply to obtain a firearm for the purposes of recreational hunting.
S: The NSW Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism should repeal recreational hunting as a ‘genuine reason’ for a gun license issue.
E: Alannah & Madeline Foundation: ‘End recreational hunting as a standalone justification (licence category) for firearm ownership’.

Problem Identification:

Section 30 of the Firearms Regulation 2017 (NSW) states that an applicant can apply for a license under ‘recreational hunting/vermin control as a genuine reason’.

Rod Campbell, the Australia Institute’s Research Director, has outlined that this has created a legal ‘loophole’ in gun licensing and led to acts of gun violence being committed in NSW.

Context:

According to Di Minin et al. (2021), recreational hunting is defined as ‘the pursuit and killing of animals primarily for leisure and enjoyment purposes.’ Whilst in the same category, vermin control refers to ‘hunting on private land in the course of any paid employment or engagement’, conducted by professional hunters.

In a report by The Conversation after the 2025 Bondi attack, it was found that one of the perpetrators ‘had a recreational hunting licence’. The Audit Office of NSW found that 59% of existing firearms license holders have been administered under recreational hunting/vermin control as a ‘genuine reason’.

Campbell has stated that ‘“there are hundreds of thousands of people who … [are] not doing the activities they said they would do when they applied for their gun licence.”’ A 2026 Australia Institute report has identified that of the 215,835 people registered under a recreational hunting licence, ‘only up to 35,761 people in NSW … participated in either activity at least once'.

Arguments:

The Australia Institute has highlighted that ‘people have taken advantage of the ease of proving a genuine reason for a firearms license’. Campbell has argued that this can create the ability of ‘“people with mal-intent … to get lethal weapons and plan for the kinds of tragedies that we've seen.”’ The Australia Institute also indicated that most perpetrators of gun violence are ‘firearm owners who, until that point, had been law-abiding.’ In the case of the 2025 Bondi attack, authorities found that one of the perpetrators had been able to obtain firearms under a recreational hunting license, with no incidents with his license prior to the Bondi attack. Campbell outlined that there is a ‘“huge gap between those who say they need a gun for hunting or sports, and those who actually do either, [which] exposes the façade that underpins gun licensing across this country.”’

In a statement defending the ‘right to hunt’ bill in NSW, the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia claimed that recreational hunting ‘plays a valuable role in the management of feral and game species in Australia’. However, an Australia Institute report (2025) found that uncoordinated hunting campaigns have significant ecological risks, such as ‘increases in the number of invasive species after hunting has taken place in an area.’ Carol Booth of the Invasive Species Council outlined that ad hoc recreational hunting has ‘no defined biodiversity objectives, … no quality control [and] no monitoring’.

While many gun lobby groups believe that recreational hunting bans target innocent gun owners, the Women’s Agenda has stated that ‘regulation is not about simply taking away everyone’s guns. It’s about ensuring safety and accountability.’ The Australian Gun Safety Alliance (AGSA) has argued that ‘the use of firearms for enjoyment does not constitute a public-safety justification for widespread private firearm ownership.’

AGSA has outlined that there is ‘overwhelming evidence that Australians want stronger gun laws.’ According to the Australia Institute, 64% of Australians believe that gun laws should be strengthened. As reported by the ABC, the National Cabinet ‘unanimously agreed’ to strengthen gun laws after the Bondi terror attack.

Advice/Solution Identification:

The Alannah & Madeleine Foundation, Australian Gun Safety Alliance (AGSA) and the Public Health Association of Australia have all called for the removal of the recreational hunting license category in NSW. According to AGSA, ending the recreational hunting license category could ‘reduce the number of firearms circulating within the community.’

Precedent:

If NSW were to enact this reform, it would be world/nation-leading to the best of the author’s knowledge.

Public Support:

Broad Support:

Invasive Species Council - Has broadly supported imposing restrictions on recreational hunting and opposes the idea of firearms as a recreational entitlement, but has not explicitly called for the abolishment of the category.
RSPCA - Has supported the banning of recreational hunting in NSW as it opposed the ‘inherent and inevitable pain and suffering caused’ to the animal, but has not explicitly called for the abolishment of the license category.
The Australia Institute - Has broadly supported restrictions on recreational hunting as a genuine reason for a license, but has not explicitly called for the abolishment of the category.

This list reflects publicly stated positions and should not necessarily be taken as endorsement of this specific brief.

News Coverage:

The Guardian - “Golden ticket to guns: police want Australia’s laws tightened to stem abuse of firearms licences.” Authorities and experts argued that current gun legislation have become easy to exploit during the Noah and Wayne Smith murder-suicide inquest. By: Christopher Knaus and Sarah Martin | Friday 29 August, 2025 - Read the article here.
The Guardian - “Calls for NSW government to remove recreational hunting as a reason to own firearms after Bondi massacre.” NSW Greens MPS, Independents and gun-safety advocates called for the removal of recreational hunting as a genuine reason, citing community safety concerns. By: Anne Davies | Thursday 18 December, 2025 - Read the article here.
The Conversation - “Why can someone in suburban Sydney own 6 guns legally? New laws might change that.” An Associate Professor in Criminology at the University of Queensland outlined the legal process of getting a recreational hunting licence and possible new gun reforms being considered in light of the Bondi attack. By: Suzanna Fay | Monday 15 December, 2025 - Read the article here.
ABC News - “Hundreds of thousands of gun owners using firearms law 'loophole', Australia Institute says.” Interview with Rod Campbell, Research Director for the Australia Institute, on the new Australia Institute report on firearms loopholes in NSW. By: Jessica Kidd | Tuesday 17 March, 2026 - Read the article here.
ABC News - “NSW coroner calls for new gun laws after deaths of Wayne and Noah Smith.” Summary of the coronial inquest findings into Noah and Wayne Smith and recommendations for gun legislation reforms in NSW. By: Charles Rushforth | Monday 30 March, 2026 - Read the article here.

Where to go to learn more:

(2026) The hole in Australia’s gun laws – What counts as a genuine reason to own a gun? | The Australia Institute - This report by the Australia Institute explored the ways that ‘genuine reason’ requirements have created a legal loophole in firearm ownership. Read the report here.
(2026) Rapid Review Of Victoria's Firearms Laws Submission | The Alannah & Madeline Foundation and The Australian Gun Safety Alliance - This submission by the Alannah and Madeline Foundation and The Australian Gun Safety Alliance reviewed Victoria’s gun legislation and made recommendations for gun reforms to ensure public safety and harm reduction. Read the review here.
(2026) Gun law fail: Dodgy licences lead to firearms flood | The Australia Institute - This media release from the Australia Institute outlined the major gaps between recreational hunting licensees and actual participation in recreational hunting and how gun lobby groups are benefitting from increased membership to satisfy licensing requirements. Read the release here.
(2026) Australia's gun laws need reform: tightening the "genuine reason" requirement | ThePoint - This opinion piece by Roland Browne, Vice Chair of Gun Control Australia, chronicles the history of gun control legislation and the National Firearms Agreement and the weakening of gun control legislation in NSW. Read the article here.
(2025) Gun control in Australia – An update on firearms data and policies | The Australia Institute - This report by the Australia Institute, commissioned by the Australian Gun Safety Alliance and Gun Control Australia, provides an in-depth breakdown of firearms data and laws by state jurisdiction. Read the report here.
(2025) The limitations of conservation hunting | The Australia Institute - This report by the Australia Institute, submitted as part of the inquiry into the proposed Game and Feral Animal Legislation Amendment (Conservation Hunting) Bill 2025, outlines the ineffectiveness of hunting as a conservation method and the risks the bill poses to gun control legislation in NSW. Read the report here.
(2023) Firearm Injury Prevention | Public Health Association Australia - This report by Public Health Association Australia outlines their policy position regarding gun reform, noting evidence of deaths and injuries caused by firearms. Read the PDF here.
(2019) Firearms regulation | Audit Office of NSW - This report outlines the systemic inaccuracies in the Firearm Registry, leading to major gaps in licensing updates and accuracy in firearm reporting. Read the full report here.

Human Perspective:

Trigger Warning: Gun violence.

Noah is a licensed gun owner, and he was able to claim recreational hunting as a ‘genuine reason’ for ownership. In the eyes of the law, he presented himself as a legitimate gun owner, and nothing in the licensing process appeared to raise alarm at the time. However, Noah became addicted to prescription painkillers after a scaffolding accident at his construction job left him jobless and in chronic pain. During his withdrawals from his medication, Noah had been plotting to rob a local business for weeks, scouting the layout during late-night drives past the quiet suburban business, noting the workers’ routines and the lack of late-hour security cameras. He planned to slip in just before closing, wearing a hoodie and gloves, using one of his legally owned firearms to intimidate without firing. Noah rehearsed every detail in his mind, from parking his car 2 blocks away under dim streetlights to the quick exit route through back alleys he’d mapped out on foot, feeling the weight of his chosen handgun in his jacket pocket. Once he got to the register and held the clerk at gunpoint, he grew frustrated and impatient as the worker frantically tried to take money out of the register. Then, a customer tried to restrain Noah, and in the struggle, Noah accidentally fired the gun at a shelf and narrowly missed another customer. Noah had never engaged in recreational hunting while he held his license.

To protect the anonymity of those involved, this is a fictionalised account drawn from an amalgamation of real-life stories, experiences and testimonials gathered during the research process for this brief. Any resemblance to actual individuals is purely coincidental.

Conflict of interest/acknowledgment statement:

N/A

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Reference list:

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Alpers, P. (2015, October 7). If lawful firearm owners cause most gun deaths, what can we do? The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/if-lawful-firearm-owners-cause-most-gun-deaths-what-can-we-do-48567#:~:text=Origins%20of%20crime%20guns&text=When%20Australian%20authorities%20traced%20firearms,any%20external%20aggressor%20is%20killed.

Audit Office of NSW. (2019, February 28). Firearms regulation. https://www.audit.nsw.gov.au/our-work/reports/firearms-regulation

Australian Gun Safety Alliance. (2025). Gun Safety Advocates Support a Ten-Point Plan for Firearm Reform. https://www.gunsafetyalliance.org.au/updates/gun-safety-advocates-support-a-ten-point-plan-for-firearm-reform/

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Booth, C. (2010, February 23). Hunting & feral animal control: conservation or con? [Seminar]. Within the 2010 RSPCA Australia Scientific Seminar, 25-31.

https://rspca.sfo2.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/public/Uploads/SciSem2010-Proceedings.pdf#page=30

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Fay, S. (2025, December 15). Why can someone in suburban Sydney own 6 guns legally? New laws might change that. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/why-can-someone-in-suburban-sydney-own-6-guns-legally-new-laws-might-change-that-272067

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