The Federal Goverment has announced a national firearms register, with $160 million spent over four years to increase community safety.  The plans coincide with the 28th anniversary of the Port Arthur massacre.

Port Arthur

The Australian government has announced a significant investment towards enhancing national security and gun control measures. On the eve of a profoundly personal anniversary for Walter Mickack, whose wife, Nanette, and two young daughters, Lana and Madeline, were tragically killed in the Port Arthur massacre, the government committed $161 million to establish a National Firearms Register. This tragic event not only took the lives of Mickack's family but also of 35 individuals, catalyzing major reforms in the country's gun laws, with Walter partaking actively in this transformation.

The National Firearms Register is envisaged as a pivotal component of the broader National Firearms Agreement, aiming to amalgamate information about firearms and their owners across different jurisdictions into a singular national database. This initiative is expected to significantly bolster the safety of all Australians, including law enforcement personnel, by reducing the risks associated with gun violence. The decision comes in response to recent violent incidents, including a terror attack that resulted in the death of two Queensland police officers and a community member, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced regulatory mechanisms.

While the National Cabinet endorsed the register previously, the implementation timeline has drawn critique, with some voices in the community and the opposition labeling the projected four-year rollout as excessively prolonged. These concerns emphasize the technical and logistical challenges ahead, especially for jurisdictions transitioning from paper-based to digital record-keeping systems. Despite these hurdles, the initiative holds a deeper, symbolic significance for individuals like Walter Mickack, who sees the register not only as a means to prevent future tragedies but also as a lasting tribute to his lost loved ones.



National firearms register announced on Port Arthur anniversary

On the eve of the 28th anniversary of the murder of his wife, Nanette, and two young daughters, Lana and Madeline, Walter Mickack draws strength from their memory. It's on those days where you think things are not going well and you just, you sometimes wonder why you're still here. His family was among the 35 people gunned down in the Port Arthur massacre, an attack which prompted major gun law reform, partly driven by Walter. Ladies and gentlemen, I think we have done good work for the future of Australia today. But that work isn't complete. The federal government today committing $161 million to establish a National Firearms Register. This is, if you like, a last piece in the puzzle of the National Firearms Agreement. The register will consolidate information about firearms and their owners from each jurisdiction into a national database. It will help keep all Australians, especially police officers, safe from gun violence. National Cabinet signed off on the register last year after two Queensland police officers and a local community member were gunned down in a terror attack. No Queenslander's heart will ever heal when it comes to William Billard. This was first recommended in the National Firearms Agreement almost three decades ago. And with another four years until it's implemented, some are questioning why it's taking so long. This should be a 12-month project at most. And if we could do it quicker and made sure that it worked, I think everyone would welcome that. Labor says it's a complicated process. You've got some states that are moving from paper-based systems to digital systems. For Walter, the register is an important part of his daughter's legacy. I want their names to be talked about each day, like as if they were here. Lucy Gray for 10 News First.

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