The Combatting Anti-Semitism, Hatred and Extremism (Firearms and Customs Laws) Bill 2026 has passed both houses of the Commonwealth Parliament and will receive the Royal Assent soon. These laws have significant implications for shooters, especially as they essentially ban the importation of straight-pull and lever/button release firearms from a practical perspective.

In the video above, Shooters Union Australia President Graham Park walks viewers through the key developments surrounding the recently passed legislation and discusses the implications for shooters nationwide. This brief but important update explains what the bill means in real terms and why it matters to every responsible firearms owner in Australia.

The good news is that there were some significant positive for shooters changes between the Exposure Draft of the Bill and the version which was actually passed by Parliament.
The most significant of these are:

• The section that would essentially criminalise digital firearms manuals, reloading data and watching online videos about firearms maintenance, restoration, repair or reloading etc has been NULLIFIED for shooters. 

Broadly speaking, possessing or accessing this material will remain legal if you have any gun licence from any Australian State or Territory, or are accessing the information because "it is necessary for, or of assistance in, conducting scientific, academic or historical research."

• The ban on importing bandoliers and shooting vests etc has been REMOVED ENTIRELY. There will be NO IMPORT RESTRICTIONS OR PERMITS NEEDED for these items. 
• Handguns will REMAIN LEGAL to import for sports and target shooting use. Dealers can still import handguns for sale to target shooters and occupational users etc.

These changes could only be made because of the enormous amount of work all the shooting organisations AND the shooting community put in - that means all of you - individually contacting MPs and explaining how the originally planned laws would devastate your sport, your businesses, your farms, your collections, and your human rights. 

Our Government sources have confirmed that industry and community contact DID make a difference to these laws - and they were genuinely surprised by the sheer volume of email, phone calls and meeting requests MPS received over this issue from the shooting community and industry. 

So, thank you and congratulations for all of your outstanding support in pushing back against these over-reaching laws. While we weren't successful in stopping them entirely, your efforts made sure that the worst parts were removed.

The fight is far from over - the laws covering what guns are legal to own and use are a State matter, not a Federal one, so there will be a lot to do as the various Australian State elections come around - but know that your voice does matter, it does make a difference and together we can and will continue to fight against unfair, politically convenient and emotionally-based attacks on responsible firearm users.