Dear Biathlon Family

We are pleased to share some positive updates regarding the evolving Australian firearms landscape – and the universal recognition of and support for the Olympic & Paralympic sport of Biathlon.

Intense advocacy by BA’s Chair, Dave Windsor has resulted in the following outcomes to date:

Federal Import Regulations

On 7 July 2026, The Hon. Tony Burke, Minister for Home Affairs, made the Customs (Prohibited Imports) (Sports Shooters—Biathlon) Instrument 2026.  Paving the way for Australian gun dealers to continue importing and selling Fortner action (straight-pull) biathlon rifles to our amazing Aussie biathletes. 

This finally tuned instrument also enables BA to invite international biathletes to compete at events in Australia (with their own rifle), such as the upcoming IBU Regional Event | Oceania Cup – to be conducted at the Australian Biathlon Arena | Mt Hotham, on 7-9 August 2026.

The Federal Department of Home Affairs has released the linked Fact Sheet and Flow Charts for your edification (linked after this paragraph).  BA will continue to work with the Department so as to enable our amazing biathletes to acquire the very best precision rifles – and leave and enter Australia as smoothly as possible – so that they can continue to proudly represent Australia in the green & gold.

Flow chart - Shooter or Hunter with Assisted repeating or Straight Pull - ABF process - July 2026

Flow chart - International Sports Shooter - Category C - Biathlete - July 2026

Flow chart Sports shooter - Category C - Biathlete July 2026

Please share these fact sheets with your preferred gun dealer – I’m sure they will be pleased to read them.

Big thanks to Melissa, Alex M, Alex E, and all the team at the Department for your tremendous support.

Tasmania

Tasmania has tabled the Firearms Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2026 (a draft law) - which (if passed) will amend the Firearms Act 1996 (Tas).  Importantly, the Bill does not impact rim-fire rifles.  Again, advocacy by BA’s Chair, Dave Windsor has resulted in Tasmania taking a different path to the ACT, NSW and Feds. 

Under the Bill, only centre-fire straight-pull rifles are proposed to be recategorised to Category C – noting that centre-fire rifles traditionally have higher calibres and greater lethality than the sub-sonic .22 rimfire rifles used by our brilliant biathletes.

Special shout out to The Hon. Luke Edmunds, Member of the Legislative Council of Tasmania for taking the time to consult directly with Dave and learn more about biathlon, BA and our wonderful biathletes and Para biathletes.

Public consultation on the Bill is open until 7 August 2026 and I’m sure that Tasmania would welcome your gratitude for deciding not to recategorise rimfire rifles with straight-pull actions.

NSW

We continue to work with our friends at NSW Police | Firearms Registry to come up with a permanent and workable administrative solution to the earmarked recategorisation of straight-pull rimfire rifles to Category C – which has yet to come into effect.  We are hoping to have something concrete to announce in the coming months – and well before the recategorisation comes into effect. 

We are extremely grateful for the ongoing engagement with NSW – they’ve been truly great to work with.

ACT

The Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory Standing Committee on Legal Affairs has released their Inquiry into legislation on proposed firearms reform.  The Committee heard submissions from BA’s Chair, David Windsor, along with the NRAA and others in shaping their recommendations.  The noble sport of biathlon is 100% on their radar (being mentioned 40 times in the report). 

Notably we draw your attention to paragraphs 2.79-2.107, and “Recommendation 5: The Committee recommends that the ACT Government undertake further work to enable biathletes to participate in their sport in the ACT and develop a consistent process for further cases as they arise.”

We thank the ACT Standing Committee on Legal Affairs for taking the time to hear our submissions and highlight the Olympic & Paralympic Sport of biathlon.

Victoria

The Vic Government has introduced the Firearms Amendment Bill 2026.  Importantly, unlike the ACT, NSW and the Feds, the Bill does not explicitly propose to recatergorise rimfire rifles with a straight-pull action.  So, like Tasmania, for now biathlon rifles will remain in Category A.

But, the Bill does propose to give the Chief Commissioner of Police extended powers to recategorise firearms from time to time.  Earlier this year, BA made submissions to the Minister for Police, The Hon. Anthony Carbines – among others in the Victorian parliament and they should now be well informed and aware of the sport of biathlon and the fact we use .22 rimfire rifles with a straight-pull action.

Importantly, the Victorian Bill is in response to the Rapid Review of Victoria’s Firearms Laws – Final Report which found (at para 6.3.3) that “Reclassifying firearms requires further consideration of who uses them and for what purpose, and whether those uses are recognised as a genuine reason. These considerations will be considered at the national level.  For example, concerns were raised that reclassifying straight-pull firearms to Category C could unintentionally affect biathlon athletes, as Category C currently recognises clay target shooting as a genuine reason, but not sport or target shooting more broadly.”

We will engage with the Chief Commissioner of Police.

Concluding Remarks

The Federal Import Regs are sorted.  Biathlon rimfire rifles with a straight-pull (Fortner) action are not recategorised in Vic, Tassie, Queensland, SA, WA, and the NT.  The ACT are pondering their next steps.  NSW continue to work with us.

The complex and multi-jurisdictional firearms landscape will continue to evolve post the Bondi terrorism attack.  BA’s leadership and advocacy – together with that of the National Rifle Association of Australia (NRAA) and Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) – has put biathlon on everyone’s radar.  We will continue to work with the good people in the state, territory and federal spheres of influence to ensure that biathlon continues to thrive for another 50 years.

Ski Fast | Shoot Straight | Happy 50^th Birthday

DISCLAIMER: This email newsletter is for information purposes only.  It is not legal advice.  You must undertake your own research and obtain your own legal advice regarding your responsibilities in relation to firearm licensing, renewals, usage, safe storage, transportation, importing & exporting (bringing rifles in and out of Australia) and the number of firearms you may possess (among other things).  Please don’t ask BA – we cannot give you legal advice.