A statement from HVTM Outdoors in regards to the proposed law changes for NSW Firearms ownerrs.
As many of our customers, followers, family and friends know, we are a licensed firearms dealer as well as your local outdoor power equipment specialists.
We’ve been operating in Cessnock since 2007, and before that on the Central Coast since 2000. Over the past 25 years, we’ve met some truly incredible people and built a community we’re extremely proud of. When our family moved to Cessnock in 2003, this town welcomed us with open arms, and we’re grateful every day to be part of it.
Today, we’re asking for the support of our local community.
Following the tragic events in Bondi on Sunday, the future of our small, family-run business — and many others like it — is uncertain. Many of you will be aware there is a meeting scheduled on Monday to discuss potential changes to firearms laws in NSW.
We want to be very clear about our position.
We believe there should be stronger and more thorough licensing requirements at the point of application and throughout the life of a firearms licence. At present, the primary requirement is that a person is deemed “fit and proper,” meaning no disqualifying criminal history such as serious offences or AVOs. What many people don’t realise is that firearms licences are not permanent. Shooters must reapply every two or five years, and applications are regularly declined — sometimes for issues as simple as failing to follow road rules, which demonstrates a lack of responsibility.
There is currently no direct integration between state firearms registries and federal or interstate agencies such as ASIO and the Australian Federal Police. This gap highlights a significant weakness in the current firearms licensing framework and warrants urgent review. It’s 2025, better information sharing between agencies should be standard in Australia’s security.
Turning to Sunday’s events — yes, the individual involved held a firearms licence because he met the existing criteria. However, it is clear that multiple systems failed to identify warning signs later on. Why those failures occurred is still unknown.
What is important to understand is this:
the firearm did not load itself, it did not aim itself, and it did not act on its own.
Tragic acts are committed by people, not objects.
If a truck had been used in this attack, we would not be banning trucks.
If a golf club had been used, we would not be banning golf.
That’s because doing so would unfairly impact thousands of people who use those items responsibly every single day.
The same principle applies here.
We are also concerned by what appears to be a knee-jerk reaction from government in the immediate aftermath of this tragedy. Recent commentary has referenced banning belt-fed machine guns. These firearms are not legally available in NSW and are not part of civilian ownership here. In this case, the individual was wearing a belt that held cartridges — that belt did not automatically feed ammunition into the firearm. This distinction matters. When policy discussions are driven by misunderstandings rather than facts, it risks creating laws that do nothing to improve public safety while heavily impacting law-abiding people.
For years, mass media coverage has often focused on fear-based narratives around firearms. This tragedy should instead highlight the reality that firearms are not inherently dangerous — people are. When systems fail to properly monitor and assess individuals, devastating consequences can occur, regardless of the tool involved.
The solution is not to punish over 250,000 law-abiding licence holders for failures in government systems. The solution is to fix those systems.
At this stage, industry professionals and leaders have not been consulted on the proposed changes. Our local State MP, Clayton Barr, is currently overseas on pre-planned leave and will not be present for discussions, and our Federal MP is unable to vote on this matter.
This is where we need your help.
It starts with a letter. Our industry leaders have drafted a template that can be copied and sent directly to state decision-makers. We have a very short window — just two days — to ensure our voices are heard.
The letter will be available on our website and Facebook page today. If needed, we’re also happy to send it via private message. We ask that you BCC our industry body, SIFA, and Melinda, so support can be tracked.
Thank you for your continued support of our family business and our community. We remain hopeful that informed, evidence-based decisions will prevail, and we look forward to continuing to serve you well into the future.
Click the buttons below to access email templates and contact details for key representatives:
NSW Members of Parliament: https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/members
Federal Members of Parliament: https://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members
Office of the NSW Premier: kogarah@parliament.nsw.gov.au
NSW Premier: premier@dpc.nsw.gov.au
NSW Minister for Police and Counter-Terrorism: yasmin.catley@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Leader of the Opposition: liberal.leader@parliament.nsw.gov.au
NSW Nationals Leader: coffsharbour@parliament.nsw.gov.au
NSW Member of parliament – Roy Butler: barwon@parliament.nsw.gov.au
NSW Member of Parliament – Clayton Barr: cessnock@parliament.nsw.gov.au
NSW Member of Parliament – Greg Piper: lakemacquarie@parliament.nsw.gov.au
NSW Member of Parliament – Jenny Aitchison: maitland@parliament.nsw.gov.au
NSW Member of Parliament – Tim Crakanthorp: newcastle@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Federal Hunter Member – Dan Repacholi: dan.repacholi.mp@aph.gov.au
Below you’ll find a selection of independent articles by Ashkan Tashvir, a multidisciplinary author and philosopher. His writing offers considered perspectives on firearms legislation, public safety, and broader policy discussions, with a focus on systems accountability and evidence-based thinking. All articles are published in a personal capacity. Ash is a customer of HVTM Outdoors and a local to the Cessnock region. Given Ash’s background, his articles offer a unique insight into the attack and are well worth the read.
Update 20/12/25 - NBN News Interview
Mel here.
I was really unsure about sharing this video and honestly had no intention of posting it. I was left pretty deflated after seeing the final broadcast last night.
This interview went for around three minutes. During it, I spoke about the fact that the government is refusing to acknowledge that the Bondi incident was a terrorist attack. I stated clearly that the attacker also had explosives and that he was out for blood, plain and simple.
We talked about the bigger picture. If this individual had driven a truck into the area and used that as his terrorist weapon, would we be banning trucks? If he’d used golf clubs, would we be banning golf?
We spoke about what we actually do in our shop, how long we’ve been part of this local community, and what these proposed changes would mean in real terms. I asked who will pay for the proposed buyback. Who will pay our staff wages when small businesses like ours can’t afford to keep the doors open? I also confirmed that I had spoken directly with industry leaders and major dealers, none of whom had been contacted by the Premier or his advisers for feedback. Instead, consultation was limited to anti-hunting lobby groups, creating an entirely one-sided and biased proposal.
I also raised the fact that a “belt-fed magazine” simply does not exist in this context — further proof that proper research and industry consultation never occurred.
Yet in the final broadcast, none of that made it to air. The only angle shown was what would happen to us as a dealer. That was it. I was essentially censored.
No media outlet seems willing to confront the uncomfortable truth that our Prime Minister and Premier are ignoring terrorism as the root issue. By refusing to address it head-on, the Labor Party is showing that they are not interested in tackling terrorism at all — and in doing so, they are leaving Australia vulnerable to future attacks.
But hey, let’s give them the benefit of the doubt… maybe my double chin or my nasally voice just didn’t interview well for TV. 🤷♀️
Watch the clip and make up your own mind. Scroll to 1:32 to see my joke appearance.
Update 21/12/25
SSAA Parliament Petition
Great work NSW. The petition has reached over 50,000 signatures. We needed 20,000 to open up the debate however 50,000 still isn’t enough.
In Western Australia, there was over 60,000 signatures on their petition however their state government chose to ignore it. Share with your friends. You do not need to be a firearm owner or a licence holder to sign.
This isn’t a debate on firearm ownership, it’s a debate on why our government is rushing this law change without consulting our industry professionals or dealers first. These proposed changes have been written without research or factual based evidence.
