GRANNY’S GOT A GUN
Surge in firearms ownership on the Gold Coast driven by older women
TRIGGER happy elderly women are shooting from the hip pocket and fuelling a boom in legal firearms on the Gold Coast.
The latest police data shows the number of registered guns on the Glitter Strip has risen nearly 40 per cent in three years, from 30,597 to 42,156.
Sporting Shooters’ Association of Australia national president Geoff Jones said retirees — particularly women — moving to the Coast from southern states were firing both barrels.
“There has been a big upsurge in women interested in shooting,” Mr Jones said. “Our female membership has doubled in the past five years or so.”
However, criminologists fear the growing legal firearm market will have stern repercussions on crime rates and illegal trade.
ELDERLY women are giving retirement both barrels and driving a boom in gun ownership on the Gold Coast.
The most recent Queensland Police data shows the number of registered firearms in the city has increased almost 40 per cent in the past three years – from 30,597 to 42,156, at December 2017.
Sporting Shooters’ Association of Australia national president Geoff Jones said retirees – particularly women – moving to the Coast from southern states were joining the sport.
“There has been a big upsurge in women interested in shooting,” Mr Jones said. “Our female membership has doubled in the past five years or so.
“Girls and women are being properly recognised as equals in the sport, which is for all abilities with no fear or favour of sex, race and creed.
“With the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast and Australia’s successes in shooting sports generally, there is a wide interest in the sport.”
Demand had grown so much on the Gold Coast, he said the association had been approached to build a shooting club south of Palm Beach.
“The Gold Coast, by population, is one of the fastest-growing areas and retirees from Sydney and Melbourne are coming up there,” Mr Jones said.
However, the increase in registered guns on the Gold Coast did not come without risk, experts say.
Bond University associate professor in criminology Dr Wayne Petherick said evidence from around the world showed “the larger proportion of people who have registered firearms the more flow-on to the (illegal) grey market”.
“The more that are available, the cheaper they become on the street. So, criminals that couldn’t afford them previously now can.”
Dr Petherick said despite restrictions on ownership, many weapons were stored improperly, which increased the risk of them falling into the wrong hands. “Over 50 per cent of mass murders in Australia and New Zealand are committed by a licenced gun owner with a registered firearm,” he said.
The associate professor in criminology said the culture of gun ownership in Australia had also changed.
“It could be something as simple as the Port Arthur massacre passing from memory now and a lot of people saying they wouldn’t mind getting back into shooting,” Dr Petherick said.
Solicitor Mark Stone, from the Australian Law Abiding Shooters, said licenced firearm holders rarely committed criminal offences. “Should everyone have a firearm? No. I mean, obviously there are criminals but if people are prepared to do evil you could do as much damage with a truck,” he said.
LNP member for Surfers Paradise John-Paul Langbroek said the figures were concerning.
“An increase in registered firearms means you are going to see more (gun) violence perpetrated across the community,” he said.
“Even if they are legally registered, they can’t all be owned by sporting shooters, I’m afraid.”
Police minister Mark Ryan said the Palaszczuk Government had retained the “fit and proper person test” that allowed police to use “criminal intelligence in determining weapons licence applications and renewals”.
“During our last term in Government, we tightened gun laws to restrict access to high capacity lever action shotguns and we opposed the LNP’s attempts to water down handgun laws,” Mr Ryan said.