$120m gun buy-back scheme still needs work

The Government’s firearms buyback and amnesty scheme looks set to pay out $120 million in compensation.

The figures were released in a report from the office of Controller and Auditor-General John Ryan, which examined how effectively and efficiently the police implemented the scheme.

The auditor-general ordered the probe in September, saying many Kiwis were interested in knowing how well the scheme met its objective — getting as many semi-automatic firearms and shotguns covered by the ban out of the community as possible.

His report, published yesterday, says that $102m had been paid out and as at February, 61,332 prohibited firearms were collected, destroyed, or modified, but the report lists a number of outstanding applications.

In June last year, the Government allocated $208m in funding for the scheme.

The auditor-general found the scheme, which closed on December

Auditor-General John Ryan

20, cost more to administer than had been expected — with the initial estimate of $18m blowing out to $35m, and that this had to come out of internal police budgets.

It also notes that neither the police nor any other agency knew how many prohibited firearms, magazines, and parts were in the community when the law was changed.

Police suggest it could range from 55,000 to 240,000 firearms.

‘‘Without this information, we do not yet know how effective the scheme was,’’ the report says.

‘‘The police should also continue to improve their understanding of the firearms environment, build on their strengthened relationships with firearms owners and dealers, and make effective use of relevant information they have gathered to support their regulatory responsibilities.’’

He said implementing the scheme was a complex, challenging, and high-risk task, with a tight timeframe.

Council of Licenced Firearms Owners spokeswoman Nicole McKee labelled the scheme ‘‘an abject failure’’.

‘‘The police should continue to improve their understanding of the firearms environment . . .’’