People in areas impacted by Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle with expiring firearms licences have been given more time to get them renewed.

Executive Director of Te Tari Pūreke – Firearms Safety Authority, Angela Brazier, says many people have been suffering great hardship in the cyclone-affected areas.

This is a temporary, but necessary, extension that allows affected firearms licence holders more time to renew their licences.

The extension applies only to firearms licences, dealer licences, and endorsements for holders whose address for licensing purposes is in the regions impacted by the cyclones and covered by a declaration of national emergency from January 10 to March 14, 2023.

The regions are Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Tairāwhiti, Hawke's Bay, and the Tararua and Hauraki Districts.

The extensions apply to people who had not applied for a new licence on or before January 10 and whose licence expired after January 11.

They will have until 5pm on August 31, 2023, to apply for their new licence or endorsement.

Angela says analysis by Te Tari Pūreke suggests up to 2800 licence holders may require an extension.

'Some licence holders may have had their current licence card destroyed by the floods or now find themselves in circumstances where it is extremely difficult to apply for a new licence or endorsement.

'While it is possible that some people will not need the time extension, giving this extension is a necessary step to protect those who, through no fault of their own, are not able to make application before their current licence expires.”

The Firearms Safety Authority's firearms licence checker has been updated to reflect the status of individuals in the emergency-declared cyclone affected areas, between January 10 to March 14, 2023, whose licence was due to expire before August 31, 2023.

This will mean these people captured by this regulation change can buy arms items, firearms, or ammunition on their existing licence.

Notes to media:

The Arms Act 1983 enables regulations extending the expiry dates of licences and endorsements in the event of an emergency being declared under the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002.

The regulations were gazetted here on 13 April: https://gazette.govt.nz/notice/id/2023-sl1460