Vic national Parks and .22

[Neal66]

i want to use a .22 in state forest but for me to get to some of the spots I want to hunt I need to Tavel through national parks . I've emailed all the relevant authorities and have been in to speak to them but there isn't anybody who can tell me definitively if I am able to travel through national parks with out being fined for carrying a .22 also another issue is because of the distance we are travelling we may need to camp in national parks on our way to hunting grounds we will take every precaution to make our firearms unusable as we would where ever we go but can we travel through with out breaking the rules

[juzzbott]

Depends on your definition of "travel" is. If you are travelling by car, having the firearm correctly stored in the vehicle, i.e. not in easy reach, secured, unloaded with ammunition separately locked, then there is no problem.

If however you are on foot, then I wouldn't risk it. It's an offence for them to be in national parks, and i dont think it matters if they are unloaded while you are walking with them.

[No1Mk3]

G'day Neal66,
No, you can not. You cannot even carry the way juzzbott describes without committing an offence under Sect 44 (1) of the National Parks Act 1975. Whilst a ranger may not take action against you for traveling through a Park with a rifle secured in your car, the Act does authorize him to seize it and prosecute you, so bad/narky Ranger = Court. The only exceptions are officially issued Permits for hunting in specified Parks at specified times. Check with DEPI for a permit to access your hunting ground, or check Governer-in-Council exemptions for specific Park hunting access, Cheers.

[juzzbott]

Hey No1Mk3,

Thanks for correcting me... i knew you couldnt use one in a park, but i wasn't aware you couldn't even have one on you, even if its unloaded and stored correctly.

Lucky I stay out of them places anyways.

Cheers,
Justin

[Mr.Seacucumber]

G'day Neal66,
No, you can not. You cannot even carry the way juzzbott describes without committing an offence under Sect 44 (1) of the National Parks Act 1975. Whilst a ranger may not take action against you for traveling through a Park with a rifle secured in your car, the Act does authorize him to seize it and prosecute you, so bad/narky Ranger = Court. The only exceptions are officially issued Permits for hunting in specified Parks at specified times. Check with DEPI for a permit to access your hunting ground, or check Governer-in-Council exemptions for specific Park hunting access, Cheers.

Wouldn't Sect 36 "(1) An authorized officer or a police officer may in a park seize a gun or other weapon unless the gun or other weapon is in the possession of a person authorized under this or another Act to use carry or have in his possession in the park the gun or other weapon." Allow you to carry the gun in the car because you are authorised under the 1996 firearms act to do so? Or am I misinterupting it.

[No1Mk3]

G'day Mr.Seacucumber,
The Firearms Act authorizes us to carry where it is permitted for us to do so, only. National Parks are restricted by law, so Sect 36 only allows carriage in respect of those exemptions mentioned in the relevant Act. I tried the "I'm permitted to carry" defence when I was charged for having a rifle locked in the boot, in a secured guncase, driving from Jindabyne to Thredbo to pick up a mate who was coming hunting with us near Cann River. It failed, but the NSW Police used the discretionary powers of the Act not to proceed against me, and all charges were dropped. Still took 3 months to get my gun and licence back, and whilst that was a few years ago, the situation still exists. Best advice, don't enter NP's without a permit.

[Mr.Seacucumber]

Gotcha, no guns in national parks!