These regulations, which come into force on 14 April 2023, amend the Arms Regulations 1992 (the principal regulations) to extend the duration of certain licences and endorsements.

This is necessary because of the effects of severe weather events in particular areas of New Zealand since 10 January 2023. Those areas are the regions of Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, and Hawke’s Bay, and the districts of Hauraki and Tararua, over which states of emergency were declared under the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 for periods during 10 January 2023 to 14 March 2023 (the affected areas).

Clause 4 inserts new regulations 28ZDA to 28ZDC and a cross-heading into the principal regulations.

New regulation 28ZDA is an interpretation provision and defines address, affected areas, and specified period, which are terms used in new regulations 28ZDB and 28ZDC.

New regulation 28ZDB provides that a dealer’s licence or a firearms licence is treated as continuing in force if—

• the licence expired, or expires, during the period starting on 11 January 2023 and ending at 5 pm on 31 August 2023 (the specified period); and

• the licence holder had not applied before the start of the specified period for a renewal or replacement of the licence; and

• the licence holder’s address in respect of the licence is in an affected area and has a postcode that is specified in new Schedule 3.

The licence is treated as continuing in force until the end of the specified period or the date on which the licence holder’s application for a new firearms licence or a renewal of a dealer’s licence, made before the end of the specified period, is determined.

If a licence is treated as continuing in force, any endorsement on the licence continues to apply (unless sooner surrendered or revoked), any condition on the endorsement continues to apply (unless sooner revoked), and any condition to which the licence is subject continues to apply.

New regulation 28ZDC similarly extends an endorsement made under section 30B of the Act (in respect of prohibited firearms and prohibited magazines) on a firearms licence held by a person described in section 4A(1)(f), (g), (h), (i), or (j) of the Act for the purposes of wild animal and pest control. The endorsement is treated as continuing if—

• the endorsement expired, or expires, during the specified period; and

• the person had not applied before the start of that period for a new endorsement; and

• the person’s address in respect of the licence is in an affected area and has a postcode that is specified in new Schedule 3.

The endorsement is treated as continuing in force until the end of the specified period or the date on which the person’s application for a new endorsement, made before the start of that period, is determined.

If an endorsement is treated as continuing in force, any condition on the endorsement continues to apply.

Clause 5 inserts new Schedule 3 into the principal regulations. New Schedule 3 lists postcodes in the affected areas. If a licence holder’s address held by the Police as at 11 January 2023 has one of those postcodes, the licence holder is eligible to have their licence or endorsement that expired, or expires, during the specified period treated as continuing in force under new regulations 28ZDB or 28ZDC, provided that they satisfy the other criteria in those regulations.