Transporting firearms comes with 2 definitions-driving in your car somewhere between point a and b (say going to the range), and secondly going away on holidays for multiple days where you will be shooting. Transporting firearms documents don't differentiate the 2.
As a pre-cursor to this, a little story which may explain my reasoning better. Was going out to visit my parents in the central west NSW. They know heaps of people with land, so perfect time to sight in my new rifle. Unsure about storage I call the local police station to explain what I'm doing and how I might store the rifle. Would be getting there after business hours, taking rifle out on a sunday etc etc, so storing at the local gun shop couldn't happen, or if it did then the same situation was there in regards to when I got there after hours. Anyway, they put me through to licensing who couldn't do more to help me out, offered to store it at the police station for me and really praised the fact I was trying to do the right thing. Different story when I actually arrived to store it there, they weren't happy at all, but agreed to still store it there seeing I was between a rock and a hard place and had nowhere else. Eventually got it out to go shoot a few days later, and when I asked about taking it back in, the response was "you won't. Don't bring it back. We are not here to help people do the right thing, we are here to get people in trouble for doing the wrong thing". Unfortunately has been my experience with police on more than one occasion. Left me in a difficult position, the details of which I will deliberately omit.
The cop at the counter did say to fit a safe to the car and I would be fine when away though, which I then went and researched and was left with the impression that I wouldn't actually be fine, depending on the mood of whatever officer was looking at things that day.
Anyway, this topic raised its head again when I started thinking about taking 2 rifles out to state forests-one for deer and a 22 for rabbits. I don't want to carry 2 rifles all the time when out on foot so would want to store one in the car while using the other one. Trawled the documentation once again and confirmed that the wording was fairly vague/ambiguous in regards to this. I'm a bit of an overthinker, and like to be particularly careful when its my arse and licence on the line.
Spoke to the local firearms licencing officer, and while he was really helpful (can't praise these guys enough actually) he was working off the exact same document that I was and in the end said that it really depended on police officer who was looking at it, should something happen.
So, the sections of the transportation of firearms document applicable here:
Category C, D & H firearms must be conveyed unloaded, with the ammunition kept in a locked container separate
from the firearms. They must be rendered temporarily incapable of being fired (eg by removal of the bolt/firing
mechanism or the use of trigger locks) or must be kept in a locked container that is properly secured to, or is within
the vehicle.
Category A & B firearms must be conveyed in a manner that ensures
compliance with section 39 of the Act. The firearm must not be loaded with
any ammunition while it is being conveyed and the firearm must not be visible
from outside the vehicle.
The Commissioner has determined that 'all reasonable precautions', as
required under section 39 of the Act, have been met if category A & B firearms
are conveyed in the same manner as category C, D & H firearms.
NOTE: At no time should a firearm be left stored unattended in a motor vehicle
unless the firearms are stored in accordance with the requirements of category
C, D & H firearms and no other alternative safe storage is available.
So, by removing the bolt and locking that up with my ammunition, I'm travelling with the firearm meeting the requirements for cat C, D, H. If I'm out bush, or at my parents place, and I have no other storage option (police said no, I'm out on foot hunting etc) then I'm taking all reasonable precautions doing this-that sound correct?
If I was to run a decent cable through the action of whatever rifle isn't being used, and padlock that to something like a seat frame in the car, then would it be reasonable to say that I'm exceeding "all reasonable precautions" as described in the transporting firearms document, and I'm therefore well and truly covered should car get broken into or similar?
Sorry to have turned this into an essay, I never intend but somehow always do!
Would appreciate hearing thoughts of others here