Federal Member for Bendigo Steve Gibbons has called on gun owners to dispose of their unused firearms.
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Mr Gibbons said each firearm taken away from the Bendigo community made it a little bit safer.
“The less firearms we have in the country the better off the country is,” he said.
Mr Gibbons’ call came as he surrendered two of his own guns to police this week. The .22 and .303 rifles and ammunition will be destroyed at the Victoria Police Forensic Services Centre in Melbourne.
“I’m on leave at the moment doing what most blokes do when they are on leave and cleaning out my garage,” Mr Gibbons said.
“I have had a few rifles I’ve had for 50 years and I haven’t used them for 25-30 years so I thought I would do the right thing.
“I urge anyone else in this situation to do the same – either sell them to a licensed firearms dealer or take them to the police station.”
Mr Gibbons said both of his rifles had been registered and as a licensed gun owner he wasn’t breaking the law by owning the guns.
Divisional firearms officer Leading Senior Constable Mark Wilkinson said gun owners could hand their weapons into police at any time.
“We encourage anyone who has surplus guns to hand them into us.”
The Divisional Firearms Office can be contacted at the Bendigo police station on 5448 1300.