GUN AMNESTY

Mr BIGNELL (Mawson) (14:31): My question is to the Attorney-General. Can the Attorney-General provide the house with an update on the gun amnesty?

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Planning, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (14:31): I thank the honourable member for his question. As all members would be aware, the gun amnesty commenced on 1 August this year for a three-month period. There is less than two weeks now to run until the end of that amnesty, and I thought it was appropriate to provide the house with some update as to how the amnesty is progressing.

Members no doubt recall that there was an update provided midway through the amnesty when my ministerial colleague the Minister for Police and I actually visited the police headquarters and were shown a number of the firearms that had been handed in. As at 17 September 2012, 1,200 firearms had been surrendered to SAPOL. This figure included 60 handguns and seven proscribed—in other words, completely illegal—firearms.

The house will be pleased to note that since that last update over 600 more firearms have been added to the total. South Australia Police have now received 1,974 firearms during the amnesty. A further 138 imitation firearms have been handed in. From within that total there are over 100 handguns and 11 proscribed firearms, that is, totally illegal firearms. Thanks to the amnesty, there are now 2,112 firearms and imitation firearms that have no potential to fall into the wrong hands.

I urge anybody who has not already taken up the opportunity to safely dispose of an unwanted firearm to do so before 31 October. I also wish to thank SAPOL for their work in making South Australia a safer community. Particular thanks must go to the Firearms Branch and the metro and country local service areas for their work in implementing this very successful amnesty.