Michaela Meade
Victorians are being urged to hand in any unwanted, unregistered or illegal firearms as part of a national amnesty.
The amnesty is an Australian-first, according to Victoria Police, and is an opportunity for people in possession of illegal or unregistered firearms, parts or ammunition to anonymously surrender them to their nearest licensed dealer, without fear of prosecution.
The decision to launch the amnesty as permanent follows a successful 2017 firearms amnesty, which aimed to reduce the availability of unregistered firearms and illegal weapons to those not wanting them for lawful purposes, police said.
Licensing and Regulation Division acting Superintendent John Cahill said that while the amnesty is permanent, members of the public should hand in firearms “without delay”.