Primary producers across the Callide District have been experiencing great difficulty when trying to renew their long-held gun licences, according to MP Colin Boyce.

The MP for Callide said farmers had enough on their plates without dealing with red tape around gun licencing.

“These firearms are an essential tool for their businesses, and without a renewal they are having their guns removed from their properties until the paperwork can be completed again,” Mr Boyce said.

“To add insult to injury, when they follow the system they are still penalised after police and weapons licencing lost their paperwork.

“Some of these farmers have even been instructed that the full safety course needs to be completed in order to receive their weapons back.”

Opposition spokesman for Police and Corrective Services Dale Last, said resident’s confidence in Queensland’s weapons licensing system was eroding because of prolonged inaction on recommendations made to the Queensland Audit Office.

Mr Last said firearms owners deserved answers after he received numerous complaints about delayed and lost applications.

“What we have seen is law-abiding people who have been advised that their applications have not been received,” he said.

“So they have done the right thing and sought assistance from their local police but documents still go missing - it makes no sense.

“To have an applicant told that, instead of the usual 12-week time frame, they could wait up to six months indicates there is either a massive backlog, not enough staff or both.

“For primary producers, firearms are essentially a tool that they need in their business, these delays mean injured livestock cannot be euthanized quickly which means more suffering for animals.”