Gun ownership on the rise

(From the Courier Mail)

Gun ownership explodes
Jason Gregory
22feb06 GUN ownership is on the rise in Queensland with evidence the tough restrictions introduced after the Port Arthur massacre nearly a decade ago are losing their effectiveness.

Despite bans on certain types of weapons and a successful buyback and amnesty, police figures show there are more firearms in the community now than three years ago.

Police Minister Judy Spence yesterday foreshadowed possible changes to the Weapons Act, to be reviewed this year, saying she was "aware of some operational suggestions from police and these will be considered as part of this review".

Queensland police Weapons Licensing Branch manager, Inspector Mike Crowley, said gun ownership applications had increased 30 per cent since 2002. Up to 11,000 of last year's 26,000 applicants were first-timers.

"There has not been a decrease in the number of firearms, but an increase. It shows they do not really depreciate and are a resilient commodity," Insp Crowley said.

"There are still a lot of people buying and selling firearms. Certainly in the past three years this has increased."

According to police figures, the number of licensed gun owners dropped from 158,000 to 153,000 in the past year but the number of weapons increased from 511,580 in September 2004 to 527,772 last December.

And while legal gun ownership is on the rise, illegal use of firearms is not decreasing, despite an initial decline following the introduction of restrictive laws in 1996.

The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show the number of robberies involving weapons across the nation is the same as it was five years ago.

The number of abductions involving weapons is higher, and while there has been a fall in firearm murders, more than a quarter of attempted murders involved guns.

Bond University criminologist Paul Wilson said: "There are indications guns are being used illegally more than a few years ago, and a stark look needs to be taken into whether firearm laws are losing their effectiveness."

Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg said gun laws were only partially effective, and supported toughening them to "target the real criminals".

Last year a question on notice revealed more than 5100 firearms had been reported stolen from 1996 to 2003, and only 916 were recovered.

Police figures show dealer transactions rose 30 per cent from 50,000 to 70,000 in the past year, and transactions between licensed shooters and those giving up their licences accounted for most of the remaining sales.

Many of the new licensees were sporting shooters applying for multiple weapons, for occupations such as security monitoring and farming.

"We recognise the vast majority of firearm owners do not pose a risk to public safety, (but) we need to balance this to ensure we have a system protecting the public from potential tragedies such as Port Arthur," Insp Crowley said.

"The Government has put in place what they think is the best approach, and we will implement that, (but) we are always looking to improve the system."

In the Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, a lone gunman killed 35 people, and Insp Crowley said the importation of after-market military magazines that could be fitted to centre-fire rifles acquired legally in Australia had recently been identified as having "a potential for misuse".

More than 131,000 guns were surrendered in Queensland from 1996 to 1999. In 1996 there were 273,000 licensed firearm owners with an untold number of weapons.

In 1999 then Weapons Licensing Branch head Insp John McCoomb estimated 500,000 guns in Queensland were illegally held.

Sporting Shooters Association of Australia secretary Paul McNabb said Queensland figures reflected those of NSW, and "new gun owners are seen as law-abiding citizens participating in a government-sanctioned sport".

Gun ownership on the rise

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Gun ownership explodes
Jason Gregory
22feb06 GUN ownership is on the rise in Queensland with evidence the tough restrictions introduced after the Port Arthur massacre nearly a decade ago are losing their effectiveness.

Despite bans on certain types of weapons and a successful buyback and amnesty, police figures show there are more firearms in the community now than three years ago.

Police Minister Judy Spence yesterday foreshadowed possible changes to the Weapons Act, to be reviewed this year, saying she was "aware of some operational suggestions from police and these will be considered as part of this review".

Queensland police Weapons Licensing Branch manager, Inspector Mike Crowley, said gun ownership applications had increased 30 per cent since 2002. Up to 11,000 of last year's 26,000 applicants were first-timers.

"There has not been a decrease in the number of firearms, but an increase. It shows they do not really depreciate and are a resilient commodity," Insp Crowley said.

"There are still a lot of people buying and selling firearms. Certainly in the past three years this has increased."

According to police figures, the number of licensed gun owners dropped from 158,000 to 153,000 in the past year but the number of weapons increased from 511,580 in September 2004 to 527,772 last December.

And while legal gun ownership is on the rise, illegal use of firearms is not decreasing, despite an initial decline following the introduction of restrictive laws in 1996.

The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show the number of robberies involving weapons across the nation is the same as it was five years ago.

The number of abductions involving weapons is higher, and while there has been a fall in firearm murders, more than a quarter of attempted murders involved guns.

Bond University criminologist Paul Wilson said: "There are indications guns are being used illegally more than a few years ago, and a stark look needs to be taken into whether firearm laws are losing their effectiveness."

Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg said gun laws were only partially effective, and supported toughening them to "target the real criminals".

Last year a question on notice revealed more than 5100 firearms had been reported stolen from 1996 to 2003, and only 916 were recovered.

Police figures show dealer transactions rose 30 per cent from 50,000 to 70,000 in the past year, and transactions between licensed shooters and those giving up their licences accounted for most of the remaining sales.

Many of the new licensees were sporting shooters applying for multiple weapons, for occupations such as security monitoring and farming.

"We recognise the vast majority of firearm owners do not pose a risk to public safety, (but) we need to balance this to ensure we have a system protecting the public from potential tragedies such as Port Arthur," Insp Crowley said.

"The Government has put in place what they think is the best approach, and we will implement that, (but) we are always looking to improve the system."

In the Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, a lone gunman killed 35 people, and Insp Crowley said the importation of after-market military magazines that could be fitted to centre-fire rifles acquired legally in Australia had recently been identified as having "a potential for misuse".

More than 131,000 guns were surrendered in Queensland from 1996 to 1999. In 1996 there were 273,000 licensed firearm owners with an untold number of weapons.

In 1999 then Weapons Licensing Branch head Insp John McCoomb estimated 500,000 guns in Queensland were illegally held.

Sporting Shooters Association of Australia secretary Paul McNabb said Queensland figures reflected those of NSW, and "new gun owners are seen as law-abiding citizens participating in a government-sanctioned sport".

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Gun ownership explodes
Jason Gregory
22feb06 GUN ownership is on the rise in Queensland with evidence the tough restrictions introduced after the Port Arthur massacre nearly a decade ago are losing their effectiveness.

Despite bans on certain types of weapons and a successful buyback and amnesty, police figures show there are more firearms in the community now than three years ago.

Police Minister Judy Spence yesterday foreshadowed possible changes to the Weapons Act, to be reviewed this year, saying she was "aware of some operational suggestions from police and these will be considered as part of this review".

Queensland police Weapons Licensing Branch manager, Inspector Mike Crowley, said gun ownership applications had increased 30 per cent since 2002. Up to 11,000 of last year's 26,000 applicants were first-timers.

"There has not been a decrease in the number of firearms, but an increase. It shows they do not really depreciate and are a resilient commodity," Insp Crowley said.

"There are still a lot of people buying and selling firearms. Certainly in the past three years this has increased."

According to police figures, the number of licensed gun owners dropped from 158,000 to 153,000 in the past year but the number of weapons increased from 511,580 in September 2004 to 527,772 last December.

And while legal gun ownership is on the rise, illegal use of firearms is not decreasing, despite an initial decline following the introduction of restrictive laws in 1996.

The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show the number of robberies involving weapons across the nation is the same as it was five years ago.

The number of abductions involving weapons is higher, and while there has been a fall in firearm murders, more than a quarter of attempted murders involved guns.

Bond University criminologist Paul Wilson said: "There are indications guns are being used illegally more than a few years ago, and a stark look needs to be taken into whether firearm laws are losing their effectiveness."

Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg said gun laws were only partially effective, and supported toughening them to "target the real criminals".

Last year a question on notice revealed more than 5100 firearms had been reported stolen from 1996 to 2003, and only 916 were recovered.

Police figures show dealer transactions rose 30 per cent from 50,000 to 70,000 in the past year, and transactions between licensed shooters and those giving up their licences accounted for most of the remaining sales.

Many of the new licensees were sporting shooters applying for multiple weapons, for occupations such as security monitoring and farming.

"We recognise the vast majority of firearm owners do not pose a risk to public safety, (but) we need to balance this to ensure we have a system protecting the public from potential tragedies such as Port Arthur," Insp Crowley said.

"The Government has put in place what they think is the best approach, and we will implement that, (but) we are always looking to improve the system."

In the Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, a lone gunman killed 35 people, and Insp Crowley said the importation of after-market military magazines that could be fitted to centre-fire rifles acquired legally in Australia had recently been identified as having "a potential for misuse".

More than 131,000 guns were surrendered in Queensland from 1996 to 1999. In 1996 there were 273,000 licensed firearm owners with an untold number of weapons.

In 1999 then Weapons Licensing Branch head Insp John McCoomb estimated 500,000 guns in Queensland were illegally held.

Sporting Shooters Association of Australia secretary Paul McNabb said Queensland figures reflected those of NSW, and "new gun owners are seen as law-abiding citizens participating in a government-sanctioned sport".

Looks like we need to tighten gun ownership laws again.

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Gun ownership explodes
Jason Gregory
22feb06 GUN ownership is on the rise in Queensland with evidence the tough restrictions introduced after the Port Arthur massacre nearly a decade ago are losing their effectiveness.

Despite bans on certain types of weapons and a successful buyback and amnesty, police figures show there are more firearms in the community now than three years ago.

Police Minister Judy Spence yesterday foreshadowed possible changes to the Weapons Act, to be reviewed this year, saying she was "aware of some operational suggestions from police and these will be considered as part of this review".

Queensland police Weapons Licensing Branch manager, Inspector Mike Crowley, said gun ownership applications had increased 30 per cent since 2002. Up to 11,000 of last year's 26,000 applicants were first-timers.

"There has not been a decrease in the number of firearms, but an increase. It shows they do not really depreciate and are a resilient commodity," Insp Crowley said.

"There are still a lot of people buying and selling firearms. Certainly in the past three years this has increased."

According to police figures, the number of licensed gun owners dropped from 158,000 to 153,000 in the past year but the number of weapons increased from 511,580 in September 2004 to 527,772 last December.

And while legal gun ownership is on the rise, illegal use of firearms is not decreasing, despite an initial decline following the introduction of restrictive laws in 1996.

The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show the number of robberies involving weapons across the nation is the same as it was five years ago.

The number of abductions involving weapons is higher, and while there has been a fall in firearm murders, more than a quarter of attempted murders involved guns.

Bond University criminologist Paul Wilson said: "There are indications guns are being used illegally more than a few years ago, and a stark look needs to be taken into whether firearm laws are losing their effectiveness."

Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg said gun laws were only partially effective, and supported toughening them to "target the real criminals".

Last year a question on notice revealed more than 5100 firearms had been reported stolen from 1996 to 2003, and only 916 were recovered.

Police figures show dealer transactions rose 30 per cent from 50,000 to 70,000 in the past year, and transactions between licensed shooters and those giving up their licences accounted for most of the remaining sales.

Many of the new licensees were sporting shooters applying for multiple weapons, for occupations such as security monitoring and farming.

"We recognise the vast majority of firearm owners do not pose a risk to public safety, (but) we need to balance this to ensure we have a system protecting the public from potential tragedies such as Port Arthur," Insp Crowley said.

"The Government has put in place what they think is the best approach, and we will implement that, (but) we are always looking to improve the system."

In the Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, a lone gunman killed 35 people, and Insp Crowley said the importation of after-market military magazines that could be fitted to centre-fire rifles acquired legally in Australia had recently been identified as having "a potential for misuse".

More than 131,000 guns were surrendered in Queensland from 1996 to 1999. In 1996 there were 273,000 licensed firearm owners with an untold number of weapons.

In 1999 then Weapons Licensing Branch head Insp John McCoomb estimated 500,000 guns in Queensland were illegally held.

Sporting Shooters Association of Australia secretary Paul McNabb said Queensland figures reflected those of NSW, and "new gun owners are seen as law-abiding citizens participating in a government-sanctioned sport".

Unfit to Stand Trial

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REHABILITATION game . . . Ross Farrah playing golf at Wolston Park.

Killer denied bail after court hears of threat
Jasmin Lill
22feb06 A MENTALLY ill man who escaped trial for killing his former de facto in 1995 has been refused bail after he allegedly threatened to kill another woman.

In October 1995, Ross Mitchell Farrah was charged with the murder of his former de facto Christine Joanne Nash at Coolum on the Sunshine Coast.

But in 1996, the Mental Health Tribunal found Farrah was of unsound mind when he killed the 33-year-old, and he escaped trial.

Yesterday, Farrah, now aged 36, did not appear in the Brisbane Magistrate's Court to face charges of telephoning another woman on Saturday and making the death threats.

Defence lawyer Angelique Clarey asked for the matter to be dealt with in Farrah's absence, saying she had been advised it would be detrimental to her client's mental health if he were required to appear in the dock.

Prosecutor Sergeant Michelle Clarke opposed bail for Farrah, saying he had killed previously, after threatening a former de facto.

She said he had now been charged with making threats to another woman and police feared he might act on those threats if released.

But Ms Clarey applied for Farrah's bail, saying that from 2002 to last year, he had been in the high security mental health facility The Park at Wolston.

She said Farrah had been diagnosed as a schizophrenic but his condition was "under control". "He has been doing quite well and responding to treatment," she said.

Ms Clarey said Farrah recently moved to the Pine Rivers Mental Health Centre at Strathpine, where he had leave for eight hours each day.

She said Farrah's alleged victim in the latest complaint was a mental patient at another facility, and said that might be relevant as to whether the allegations could be taken as completely true.

Ms Clarey said that if Farrah were released on bail, he could be immediately transferred to the Prince Charles Hospital for further assessment.

Otherwise, he would be cared for by mental health services within the prison system, the court was told.

Magistrate Liz Hall said the allegations involved serious threats made by someone with a history of violent behaviour.

"I don't accept that the seriousness is lessened because the complainant is said to have mental health problems," she said.

"The allegations are serious and should be treated with a great deal of caution, given the defendant's background."

Ms Hall refused bail, saying Farrah would be an unacceptable risk if he were released. He was remanded in custody until next month.

In 1996, Farrah left hospital on escorted leave to play indoor cricket, just a year after he killed Nash.

Farrah again made headlines in 2001 when The Courier-Mail reported he was allowed to play golf every week in the company of two psychiatric nurses.

Queensland Smoking Laws go Unenforced

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Beach smokers hitch ride on apathy wave
Joel Dullroy, Gold Coast bureau
21feb06 ONLY eight people have been fined for smoking on beaches since new laws were introduced to stop people lighting up in public areas.

Smoking between the flags became illegal last March and offenders were threatened with $150 on-the-spot fines.

Nearly a year later, Gold Coast councillors said the laws had made little impact and called for more signs and more inspections to enforce the bans.

Queensland Health figures show a total of 771 people have been fined for smoking in public areas since last March.

The majority were fined for lighting up within 4m of a building entrance or at sports stadiums, 20 were caught smoking within 10m of a children's playground, and seven were fined for ignoring no-smoking areas on licensed premises.

Surfers Paradise councillor Susie Douglas, whose ward contains some of the state's busiest flagged beaches, said smokers were flouting laws on the beach.

"It's a joke. If they (the State Government) are going to bring in legislation, they need to back it up with fines and inspections," Cr Douglas said.

"They haven't put up any signs to tell people it is illegal. A lot of people who come to our beaches are tourists who might not know. It was a great idea, but they haven't done anything about it."

She said beach cleaners collected thousands of cigarette butts a week from the sand. One sweep netted enough butts to fill 12 wheelie bins, she said.

Queensland Health said it had employed 80 "environmental health officers" to enforce the laws across the state, and spent $1.5 million a year on a "comprehensive enforcement program".

"This is by far the largest tobacco enforcement budget committed by any Queensland government," a Queensland Health spokesman said.

A spokesman for Health Minister Stephen Robertson said he believed the figures showed the laws were working.

"There is no evidence to suggest they are not working," the spokesman said.

Surf Live Saving Queensland said the problem had been "reduced but not eradicated", and said its members were powerless to stop offenders.

"Lifesavers have taken it upon themselves to inform people of the laws," a spokesman said. "They can tell people, but they can't issue fines."

"We don't collect statistics on smoking. Anecdotally there has been a reduction, but it is still happening."

Visiting beachgoer Silvana Pallis, from Melbourne, said the laws needed to be enforced more vigorously.

"I haven't even seen any signs," she said. "People need to be made more aware of it. It needs to be stipulated, especially in areas where there are kids around."

Qant-ass charges higher fares? Get out of here (on SingAir)!

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NOT seeing eye to eye . . . Singapore Airlines and rival Qantas.

Singapore attacks Qantas for 'inflating fares'
Steven Wardill
22feb06 LOS ANGELES-bound Australian travellers were being slugged fares inflated 38-per-cent by Qantas, according to rival Singapore Airlines.

The airline made the claim about overpriced fares yesterday as the Federal Government rejected its bid to compete with Qantas on the lucrative Australia-US "Pacific" route.

It is understood that several Liberal MPs are angry their push for "open skies" competition has been ignored.

Transport Minister Warren Truss yesterday said the Government believed there was no benefit to Australia in allowing Singapore access to the route.

"If access is negotiated in the future it will be limited and phased," he said. "We would not envisage Singapore Airlines operating on the route for some years.

Mr Truss said the decision would allow other players, such as Virgin, the opportunity to develop plans for the route.

"They don't currently have equipment capable of flying the route. They would need to develop the infrastructure to service (their flights)," he said.

Mr Truss said access to the route in the future might be granted on a case-by-case basis when it was considered in the national interest.

But Singapore Airlines public affairs manager Stephen Forshaw said delaying competition on the route was bad news for travellers.

"Any decision by the Cabinet today that continues protection of Qantas on the route is bad for consumers because it will mean that they will continue to pay high prices on the route," Mr Forshaw said.

"We've done a study that has worked out that Qantas derives 38 per cent higher fares per kilometre on the Los Angeles route than they do on the London route."

Mr Truss said the Government had also rejected a push by Qantas to relax foreign ownership rules because of the potential impact on bilateral air service agreements.

Qantas shares closed steady yesterday at $4.04.