Michael Kemp has slammed NSW’s new gun buyback scheme, saying it will not make “one single iota of difference to criminals or terrorists”.
“The significant majority of the firearms that are used in gangland shootings, in murders, in drive-bys … are illegal firearms,” the Oxley MP told the Mid North Coaster on Tuesday.
What happened: The NSW Gun Buyback Scheme was announced on Sunday, in response to the Bondi Beach terrorist attack in December 2025.
The guns used in the massacre were legally registered under NSW law.
The state has tightened its gun laws since the attack, including new limits on the number of firearms a person can own.
Licence holders can now legally own up to four guns, while farmers and approved sports shooters can have up to 10.
How it works: From November 2, the scheme will provide compensation for guns above the new ownership limits and newly reclassified firearms, plus a flat fee for ammunition.
The first phase of the scheme will offer $1000 for revolvers, $850 for semi-automatic handguns, $850 for double barrel shotguns, $650 for single barrel shotguns, $600 for rimfire rifles, $1000 for centrefire rifles and $450 for air rifles.
The scheme also offers up to $25,000 in grants for impacted gun dealers.
The second phase - starting early next year - will deal with compensation for guns valued over $3000, to a cap of $10,000 per firearm.
What they said: The state expects up to 274,000 registered firearms to be handed over and then destroyed.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said the principle of the scheme is simple: “fewer dangerous guns in our community means a safer NSW”.
“We want those guns handed in, compensated for and safely destroyed,” he said.
The response: Michael Kemp - who runs cattle on 2000 acres west of Kempsey - said the reforms are targeting the wrong people.
“Legal firearms are very, very, very rarely used to commit crime. So, we need to go back to the rules and the legislation that were in place before the Bondi massacre, and actually invest our time and effort into making sure that it's extremism that is being fought against.”
Rural reality: Kemp said an “arbitrary cap” on gun ownership limits doesn’t account for the realities of farm life.
He argued a range of guns and calibers are required to effectively manage feral and pest species, particularly at night, and humanely euthanise unwell or injured stock.
He reckons utilising flat rates to compensate for surrendered firearms is “not fair” and ignores other costs of ownership, such as accessories, safes and licences.
Alternative options: In June, following the release of the state’s budget, the NSW Nationals released a media statement complaining about a lack of funding for a firearms buyback.
Following the eventual announcement of the scheme, Kemp clarified he takes issue with farmers being “forced” to participate but would support an “optional buyback”.
Pre-election surprise: Dorrigo farmer David Gibson described the scheme as “massive overreach” and a “slap in the face”, calling for primary producers to be exempt.
”I know a lot of people like myself that have got more than 10 guns, and they all serve different purposes. It's highly flawed for people who use them as tools of the trade.
“When was the last time a farmer went on a terrorist attack?”
A representative of the local NSW Farmers branch, Gibson said the scheme’s announcement showed the Premier was “obviously not too worried about rural seats in the March election”.
Family heirlooms: Gibson expressed concerns that older style guns, which are “virtually inoperable” and have been passed through families for generations, would be subject to the buyback.
“Surely there's some argument to be made that they can stay as family heirlooms.”
Scheme costs: NSW and the Commonwealth will share the costs of receiving the surrendered guns, while the Commonwealth will fund the destruction of them.
MPs including Kemp and Port Macquarie’s Rob Dwyer have called for details on the anticipated cost of the scheme and what budget allocation the NSW contribution will be drawn from.