Gun fee bungle

State cops to licensing error

THOUSANDS of Victorian gun owners have been swept up in a police firearm licensing bungle, which led to 2560 people charged the wrong fees for up to 20 years.

Victoria Police revealed the embarrassing “human error” and have now contacted thousands of firearm holders statewide, who were overcharged or undercharged dating back to 1997.

Documents tabled in the Victorian Parliament revealed the stuff-up was identified by a police officer who raised concerns over his own firearm fees in 2016. The document also acknowleged the mistake had gone unnoticed for two decades, despite multiple reports by police and state watchdogs into the regulation.

Superintendent Paul Millet wrote to Minister for Police Lisa Neville in March warning thousands of Victorians — who held multiple gun licences — were likely to be impacted prompting a statewide response.

Police spokesman Thomas O’Byrne confirmed thousands of owners had now been contacted but the full cost of the furure was not yet known.

“Investigations into the overcharging of firearm licence fees on respective licence holders is nearing completion,” Mr O’Byrne said.

“It has been identified after a thorough independent forensic analysis that approximately 2560 licence holders have been impacted and the forensic accountants are now determining the final calculations and amounts owed to each licence holder.”

Licence holders who were overcharged include people who held a Category A or Category A/B licences, while holding a Category C licence at the same time. It is understood people overcharged will be refunded, however people undercharged will not be forced to pay up.