<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Over 200,000 people are taking advantage of a "loophole" in </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/new-south-wales" rel="" target="" title="New South Wales"><span>New South Wales</span></a><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/weapons" rel="" target="" title="firearms"><span>firearms</span></a><span> legislation to acquire guns, according to a research group.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In many parts of </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/australia" rel="" target="_blank" title="Australia"><span>Australia</span></a><span>, people are required to prove they have a "genuine reason" to own a gun.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In NSW, the overwhelming majority of firearms licence holders state that reason as either hunting or sports shooting, the latter of which only requires the holder to be a paid member of a sports shooting club.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-cuba-taking-venezuela-usa-politics-news/ad77bf7e-441b-40fc-b041-37829374c809" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Donald Trump says he'll be 'taking Cuba' in latest escalation</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While 253,000 people in the state list being part of a shooting club or recreational hunting as their reason for holding a firearms licence, only 36,000 people actually participated in either activity last year, according to a study from the Australia Institute.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Experts warn the exploitation of the loophole is allowing a flood of gun owners to legally acquire firearms even if they do not plan to use them for the intended purposes they claim.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Rod Campbell, Research Director at The Australia Institute, claimed it was exposing the "facade" of Australia's </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/gun-control" rel="" target="_blank" title="gun laws"><span>gun laws</span></a><span>, and was creating a risk for all Australians.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/australia-nsw-gun-laws-genuine-reason-loophole/20dbc567-ed46-42e5-8773-070a38b419af" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There are hundreds of thousands of people who don't use their firearms for the reason on their licence, and that is a major concern," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/sydney-news-lidcombe-police-operation/e539c2e1-713f-427f-8d88-72c9c3a32dca" target="_blank"><strong><span>Woman threatened with a gun in Sydney car park, sparking major police response</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Australia's firearm laws are rightly a point of national pride, but they can only keep Australians safe if they remain ironclad. Right now, this genuine reason loophole leaves the door wide open for someone with bad intentions to get around Australia's firearm laws."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The research from the Australia Institute also found there are currently more guns in Australia than ever before, including before the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, which prompted John Howard to overhaul gun laws across the country.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Firearm laws in Australia have come into focus after the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/bondi-shooting" rel="" target="_blank" title="Bondi terror attack"><span>Bondi terror attack</span></a><span>, where two men who had legally acquired several long-armed rifles shot and killed 15 people.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>LIVE UPDATES:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-live-updates-march-17-donald-trump-pushes-allies-for-help-in-strait-of-hormuz/07b534e9-af93-4d00-91dc-58dba21ca969" target="_blank"><strong><span>Trump ramps up pressure on allies to help secure oil route</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In response, the NSW </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/government" rel="" target="_blank" title="Government"><span>Government</span></a><span> strengthened its </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/nsw-gun-and-protest-laws-pass-parliament/8abab1f4-73f7-4822-ba24-f002607a10a2" rel="" target="_blank" title="gun laws"><span>gun laws</span></a><span>, with the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/federal-politics" rel="" target="_blank" title="federal government"><span>federal government</span></a><span> also launching the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/bondi-beach-shooting-gun-buyback-announced-anthony-albanese/5a5e4731-8785-4a9d-9f40-af0ce87a9625" rel="" target="_blank" title="largest gun buyback scheme"><span>largest gun buyback scheme</span></a><span> since Port Arthur.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>However, Campbell warns the delay in fixing the genuine reason loophole may have already had too much of an impact.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Our research shows that our state and territory licencing regimes are undermining the system and potentially putting people at risk," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></strong></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><em><strong><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" rel="" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>Apple</span></strong></em></a><span> </span><em><strong><span>and</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" rel="" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>Google Play</span></strong></em></a></li><li><em><strong><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" rel="" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>ticking this box here</span></strong></em></a></li><li><em><strong><span>Sign up to</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" rel="" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></strong></em></a></li></ul></div></div>