Explainer - How will firearms proposals change access to guns in New Zealand? Here's what you need to know.
New Zealand is planning its biggest overhaul of gun regulations in more than 40 years.
The proposal announced last week would repeal and replace the 1983 Arms Act in legislation Associate Justice Minister (Firearms) Nicole McKee said would be "written in plain English, structured logically and with public safety at its core."
Among the changes are a new firearms regulator removing police from oversight duties, tough restrictions for gang members and a host of new penalties and offences being introduced.
Here's a round-up of the changes being proposed.
What changes are being made to gun laws?
A new specialist firearms regulatory agency will be created, replacing the current Firearms Safety Authority now operated by police. It'll be headed by an independent chief executive appointed by the governor-general. That chief executive would report solely to the firearms minister, currently McKee. The new regulator will sit within police but without sworn police officers involved.
"There will be no blue shirts in the Firearms Safety Authority," McKee said, referring to police uniforms.
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