Following some very productive meetings with Government and Industry representatives at Queensland Parliament House this week, we have some positive news to share!
Firstly, in order to address the massive backlog of PTAs and licences, Weapons Licensing Branch has brought in 10 new Authorised Officers to speed up the approval/finalisation process.
WLB will also, as of next week, be moving to operating two shifts per day, 7 days a week for the foreseeable future. That means there will be staff at WLB for 15 hours per day, every day of the week, processing PTAs, licences, and so on.
We are advised the priority will be clearing the PTA backlog, then licence renewals, and then new licence applications.
We also had a face-to-face meeting with the acting head of Weapons Licensing Branch, and they have vowed to dramatically improve communication with shooting organisations (including us) and industry associations (including the Firearm Dealers Association of Queensland and SIFA).
It’s important for us to acknowledge the hard work and support of the Firearm Dealers Association of Queensland (FDAQ), Shooting Industry Foundation of Australia (SIFA), as well as the efforts of KAP MPs Nick Dametto and Robbie Katter, as well as the support of Shadow Agriculture Minister Tony Perrett – positive outcomes don’t happen in a vacuum.
We’ve also got a special thank you for you, our members and supporters, who have kept the pressure on the government and made sure they fully understand the seriousness of the situation.
Obviously the issues at WLB are far from sorted out, but this is a very positive first step and we’ll keep you updated on how it progresses from here.