Balance New Zealand believes that responsible firearm ownership is a privilege that carries important responsibilities. Firearms are widely used across New Zealand for legitimate activities such as hunting, sport shooting, pest control, and rural work. These activities form an important part of New Zealand’s culture and rural economy.
At the same time, firearms legislation must ensure that weapons remain in the hands of responsible citizens and are kept out of the hands of criminals and organised gangs.
Balance New Zealand supports a balanced approach to firearms regulation that protects public safety while allowing law-abiding New Zealanders to continue participating in legitimate firearm-based activities. This policy outlines Balance New Zealand’s approach to firearms licensing, regulation, storage requirements, criminal penalties, and the clarification of self-defence laws.
Balance New Zealand believes firearms regulation should be guided by several key principles.
First, public safety must remain the primary objective of firearms legislation. Laws should ensure that firearms are responsibly owned, securely stored, and prevented from falling into criminal hands.
Second, legitimate firearm users, including hunters, sport shooters, collectors, and rural workers, should be able to continue their activities within a clear and fair regulatory system.
Third, transparency and consistency in firearms regulation are essential to maintaining public confidence in the licensing system.
Finally, strong penalties must apply to individuals who misuse firearms or supply them to criminals.
Balance New Zealand supports maintaining the current firearms regulatory system administered by the Firearms Safety Authority, the regulatory arm of the New Zealand Police.
However, Balance New Zealand believes the authority should operate with clearer separation from policing operations to improve transparency, accountability, and consistency in firearms licensing and regulation.
Maintaining a dedicated regulatory body helps ensure firearms laws are administered professionally and consistently across the country.
Balance New Zealand supports a tiered firearms licensing system that provides different licence endorsements based on training, experience, and demonstrated need.
This system would allow responsible firearm users to access the equipment necessary for their chosen sport, recreation, or profession while maintaining appropriate safeguards.
Examples of licence categories may include:
Standard Licence
This category would allow access to commonly used firearms such as bolt-action rifles, shotguns, lever-action firearms, and limited-capacity .22 calibre semi-automatic rifles.
Sport and Competition Endorsement
This endorsement would allow access to firearms used for recognised sporting and competitive shooting activities, including certain semi-automatic rifles, higher-capacity magazines used in competition settings, and competition pistols.
Collector Endorsement
This category would apply to collectors of historical or military surplus firearms and display collections maintained for historical or educational purposes.
Professional Endorsement
This endorsement would apply to individuals who require firearms for professional purposes such as pest control, farm use, or licensed animal control operations.
This structured licensing system ensures responsible firearm owners can continue their activities while maintaining appropriate regulatory oversight.
Balance New Zealand recognises that proper storage plays a critical role in preventing firearm theft and misuse.
The policy supports maintaining strong storage requirements for firearms and ammunition.
These requirements may include the use of approved firearm safes, separate locked storage for ammunition, and alarm systems for individuals who hold large firearm collections.
Police will retain the ability to inspect firearm storage arrangements when licences are issued and through periodic inspections.
These measures aim to reduce the risk of firearms being stolen or diverted into criminal activity.
Balance New Zealand supports strong penalties for individuals who misuse firearms or supply them to criminal organisations.
Illegal possession of firearms, supplying weapons to criminals, or using firearms during violent crime should carry severe consequences.
In cases where firearms are used in violent offences, Balance New Zealand supports automatic custodial sentences.
These penalties are intended to ensure that firearms misuse is treated as a serious criminal offence and that strong deterrents remain in place.
Balance New Zealand believes the law should provide clearer guidance regarding the use of reasonable force when individuals defend themselves or their homes during sudden intrusion.
The **Crimes Act 1961 currently provides for the use of reasonable force in self-defence, but Balance New Zealand believes further clarity is needed.
Amendments should recognise the stress and unpredictability of sudden home invasions and ensure the law reflects how individuals may react when confronted with immediate threats.
The goal is to ensure that victims acting in genuine self-defence are treated fairly within the justice system.
Balance New Zealand believes that clarifying self-defence laws should also include clear limits to prevent misuse.
Force would not be considered justified where the threat has clearly ended, where an intruder is retreating, where force is used solely to protect property without threat to personal safety, or where the individual defending themselves deliberately provoked the confrontation.
These safeguards ensure that stronger self-defence protections cannot be misinterpreted as justification for retaliation or vigilantism.
Balance New Zealand supports clearer national guidance for police and prosecutors when assessing incidents involving self-defence.
Prosecution should only occur where there is clear evidence that the force used was disproportionate, the threat was not genuine, or the incident involved retaliation rather than legitimate self-defence.
Providing clearer guidance will help reduce public concern that individuals could face prosecution simply for defending themselves or their families.
Balance New Zealand believes firearms policy must balance public safety with the rights of responsible firearm owners to participate in legitimate activities such as hunting, sport shooting, and rural work.
By maintaining strong licensing systems, improving storage requirements, enforcing tough penalties for criminal misuse, and clarifying self-defence laws, New Zealand can protect communities while supporting responsible firearm ownership.
This policy aims to create a clear and balanced firearms framework that protects public safety, supports lawful firearm users, and ensures the law treats victims fairly when defending themselves and their homes.
