Reiteraiting her stance of standing with local primary producers, Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke has called on the NSW Government to thoroughly consult stakeholders before any firearm and licence holder regulations are drafted.

Ms Cooke believes the December 2025 firearms legislation was rushed through without consultation with key bodies and without the support of her party, the NSW Nationals.

"These laws have been heavily criticised by primary producers, hunters, competitive shooters, and regional communities as poorly written and unworkable," Ms Cooke said..

"Last week, the Commonwealth Government passed its own legislation, including a gun 'buyback' scheme, which has caused further distress to law abiding firearms owners."

Ms Cooke believes that with the NSW Government yet to release the regulations that specify how the new laws will be enacted and enforced, there is time to engage with stakeholders and rural communities.

"This firearms legislation is completely impractical for effective pest mangement, and the future of sport shooting in the state of NSW," Ms Cooke said.

"Without regulations that reflect the realities of our rural communities, our volunteer gun clubs will face an impossible administrative burden, our licence holders will be forced to pay more for less, and our state's biosecurity will be jeopardised."

Boorowa and Grenfell Gun Clubs were among organisations across the Cootamundra electorate who met with Ms Cooke in a roundtable.

"Representatives, many of whom require firearms for agricultural or hunting purposes, in addition to sport shooting, highlighted the unworkable nature of the legislation while identifying ways in which the regulations could be written to work with firearms owners, rather than against them," Ms Cooke said.

"These are the types of disucssions that members of the NSW Government should be having to ensure the regulations are actually fit for purpose.

"No matter what your opinion is about firearms ownership, the new legislation will fall to work in practice unless the regulations address the glaring issues being raised by gun clubs and firearms owners."

Ms Cooke wished to thank the gun clubs for sharing their insight and wanted to reaffirm her commitment to combating the legislation.

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