Australia is one step closer to ensuring police and gun shops have the information they need to eliminate risks of undisclosed firearms and unlicenced buyers, through a nationwide register.
The National Firearms Register, first recommended after the 1996 Port Arthur Massacre, has been finalised and will be funded over the next four years.
It will provide near real-time information on firearms, parts, and their owners.
Data available on the register will be integrated to include information from relevant police and government sources, including the National Crime Intelligence System (NCIS).
Fragmented information about firearms was raised as a major concern after the Wieambilla shootings in rural Queensland two years ago.
The state's police union argued the absence of interstate data-sharing and real-time updates, meant officers did not know what they were walking into and it affected their chances of properly gauging risk.
Three victims, including two police and one civilian, were killed in the attack.
The attack became a catalyst in the Cabinet's agreement to implement the register in December last year.
A $161.3 million investment in the register will be announced as part of the federal budget in May.
A statement from the Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus' office called it: "the most significant improvement in Australia's firearms management systems in almost 30 years".
"Once established, police will know where firearms are, who owns them, and what other risks to the community and police may exist," the statement said.
"The development of the Register is being informed by community and stakeholder consultation. The initiative is led by the Attorney-General's Department and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, working alongside state and territory governments."
