In a stroke of disappointment earlier today the Corrective Services and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2020 was passed in Queensland Parliament. This bill is now bringing into regulation as restricted items all replica firearms in Queensland, including gel ball blasters and deactivated Category A, B & C firearms.
What this means is that once the bill commences in Queensland you will require a ‘reasonable excuse’ to possess a replica firearm in Queensland.
Only two reasonable excuses are declared by the regulation, either you have to have a collectors license and possess the gel ball blaster as part of your collection.
“(b) both of the following apply—
(i) the person is the holder of a collector’s licence;
(ii) the person’s reason for possession or acquisition of the replica of the firearm is for it to be part of the holder’s collection of weapons.”
Or you can possess the gel ball blaster as a member of an association that uses such items in recreational activities for use in said activities.
“(a) both of the following apply—
(i) the person is a member of an association, whether or not incorporated, that provides recreational activities involving replicas of firearms and the activities are conducted other than in, and in a way not reasonably able to be seen from, a public place;
(ii) the person’s reason for possession or acquisition of the replica of a firearm is to participate in the recreational activities;”
Keeping in mind that the legislation does not specifically limit the reasonable excuses that will keep you safe from a conviction, but if police do charge you with possession you had best hope your reasonable excuse holds up with your local magistrate. Given our experience with how courts tend towards viewing the Weapons Act, we would suggest to be on the safe side you comply with one of the two declared excuses to have a replica firearm.
Now fortunately if you are an FOU member in Queensland you can just send us an email and join our Queensland incorporated association that will help provide you with the required reasonable excuse.
If you aren’t a member already just join up and hit the checkbox to make sure you are put straight into the Queensland Incorporated Association.
This won’t come at any extra cost to our members. Now you might think this is a bit of a selfish cash grab, but we were the only body to raise objections to this requirement in the inquiry as being fundamentally a cash grab to organisations that are putting together gel ball games. Whilst we have consistently opposed this regulation, it is now here and we will help our members comply to meet the new requirements.
Also keep in mind that once the Bill is passed into law (via ascent from the Governor of Queensland), it will have full force of law, so you best be in compliance with the changes by that point in time. One of the lesser known changes will be that these items will now require some form of secure storage, whilst it is not required to be to the same standard as a firearm, some sort of locked container is required.
As we stated in our submission on the Bill we completely oppose this change, it does not serve to provide an improvement to community safety and misses the mark. It is simply a nanny state exercise in regulating what amount to little more than fancy water guns.
Will they buy back our gel blasters
They didn’t sell them to you in the first place, so how can they buy them back? The whole bull shit notion and terminology of the “buyback” has never been anything but a euphemism for the forced confiscation by a government that only pays a pittance, (in comparison to the actual market value) of the property that they are confiscating because they are obligated to under the constitution.
At least at the federal level. I don’t know how that would work under the Queensland state system, though.
Are y’all ever gonna stand up to these tyrants or nah?
Sadly, I doubt they ever will. You’d be shouted down something shocking for saying it openly, but the sad majority of Australia’s Post-WW2 generations have allowed themselves to be programmed by the marxist-infiltrated political establishment, and their servile bureaucracy, into complete obedience and submission.
Hell, if the government ordered the mainstream of today to hand over their first-born sons for a “reasonable and fair” amount of “compensation”, they’d do it – out of nothing more than fear, apathy and plain blind submission to the establishment’s will.
The Aussies of today are definitely not the Australians who stormed El Alamein, or built the stockade at Eureka.
Sadly, they won’t.
If one in Victoria has an original 1853 Whitney revolver (percussion cap) as an exempt firearm, will it still be so if I move to Qld?
You have no freedom.
Tell me about it! For three decades, I have witnessed my country transition from a free, democratic, liberal (in the proper meaning of the word) nation where the rights and freedoms of the individual were generally kept beyond the interests of government; to an agenda-driven superbureaucracy with a paranoid, hypervigilant, tyrannical political establishment at the head of it.
That’s bad enough. But the real tragedy is that most mainstream Australians have allowed themselves to be utterly programmed to mindlessly accept whatever the government puts upon them. Mainstream Australians have been brainwashed into believing that their fellow Australians can’t be trusted, and that tyrannical legislation is needed to protect us from ourselves and eachother. (Alas, very reminiscent of Hitler’s “Enabling Act”).
Whether we’re talking about the gun laws, the COVID 19 (over)reaction, cash purchase restrictions or any number of other draconian policies, (too many to reference here), it paints a very distressing picture for the future of this country.
Certain things can (and should) always be expected of tyrants, but when good people refuse to resist it, you can only dread the fate that awaits them, and everybody else who will slide down the slope with them.
Well said try free camping these days bloody impossible on the coast line
Pathetic…..if theses are banned then ban all knives, kitchen knives, bow and arrows,…….oh and all ok to pass a bill in Qld to kill and abort babies yet squash a hobby industry….marble for brains….
Why should it be illegal you mite as well ban skirmish laser tag
Change the colour of the gun make it look fake . Kids target shoot and have fun with them . Go ban nerf guns as well or other toy guns . They all sting but if your worried about the look a like change the make and colour this gets kids outside playing . Not inside on criminal murder games/ computer
Crap where they shoot to kill . Change your way of thinking . Ban other crap .
When is this legislation supposed to come into affect?
February 2021 I believe.
It was good when they lasted. Unfortunately there’s always those who intentionally break rules just to ruin it for the law abiding citizens….and they wonder why we can’t have nice things….
Wow nanny state
So is there a buy back system in place for all them all ?
I get that you shouldn’t walk around or use these things in public because its easy to mistake them for real firearms BUT If someone fools around with one of these in a robbery they deserve to be shot by the arm defenders!….the thing is “who would do such a stupid thing as to go up against armed police with one of these?” ill tell you…NO ONE!!!
I gather they will pay us out then for any guns we bought at what we bought them for yeah? they sold them to me legally now they are going to say ill get in trouble?
They should adopt the California state law on airport guns, which require mandatory Orange tips on all weapons sold. And I one inch band either around the stock or magazine or the grip on the pistol. This way it’s easily identifiable
What a great idea
100% I accept this. I cannot believe they would enforce more strict rules on Gel Blasting than that. This is a great hobby, most law-abiding citizens have had great fun with it and have followed its laws to the letter; yet the government feels it is necessary to punish us all for a handful of irresponsible citizens.
So has this just inadvertantly opened up a LEGAL pathway to own AIRSOFT guns in QLD…..???
Once this comes into law, airsoft will fall under the replica firarms catogory/sporting club use….
Will For one
There gos all the fun for kids and big kids as will it was getting poeple out of the house having fun and enjoying them selfs for once, but now this is just going to far on the the rules are going with gell blaster they are just toys for poeple to have fun so just let them enjoying selfs this is why qld or anywhere in Australia can’t do anything because there is all was someone have a cry about it, get over it and let family and friends have fun.
I said the truth hope someone will agree with me.
Well you can bring in the licensed use of air aoft guns now you do this. They are banned for rhe same reason..
This would be the biggest load of shit I have seen regarding gel guns. They do not look real to start. And really do not look any different to a toy gun. Are we stopping the sale of toy guns now.
Pretty simple, manufactor them to not look like real guns. They will still be gel blaster toys. Bright coloured and not look like guns. Its pretty simple really
Join some gel blaster group for about $30 a year and say you do it for sport.
We shouldn’t have to join any club or pay anything. I’m not a gel shooter but I see why it’s liked. I served my country and it makes me sick. We are in tyranny right now. I’ll say it again. We need to March and take real action. The government is half the issue. The real issue is with the police them self. Guiding laws to suit. And with weapons lic. Police need put in check. And the government needs to listen. I’ll march with my heart on my sleeve, who’s with me. Tcass82@live.com.au
Do not vote for labour or the greens at the next election. Yes they have the bill ready to go but it doesn’t come into effect till feb 1, 2021.
If liberal get into power this law won’t happen
Gel blasters have always and are still completely legal to own or possess without a licence.
https://www.police.qld.gov.au/weapon-licensing/Gel-Blasters
Are the comments still working for this page?? Check the QPS site and you will see that it is absolutely NOT illegal to posses a gel blaster and this article seems to be a money grab trying to scare people into becoming a member of FOU. https://www.police.qld.gov.au/weapon-licensing/Gel-Blasters
I posted a comment to that effect earlier this week but it hasn’t appeared on the page.