New Zealand Gun Law: Legislation takes effect immediately

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03:13

New Zealand's parliament has formally signed into effect sweeping gun laws that put a ban on military-style weapons. CGTN's Owen Poland has more.

Exactly four weeks after the deadly mosque attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand's Prime Minister has honoured her promise to ban the semi-automatic weapons used in the massacre.

JACINDA ARDERN NEW ZEALAND PRIME MINISTER "I could not fathom how weapons that could cause such destruction and large-scale death could have been obtained legally in this country. I could not fathom that."

The main target of the firearms ban is the AR-15 assault rifle used in many mass murders overseas.

NOEL WOMERSLEY SEMI-AUTOMATIC OWNER "This is the military-style that they're wanting us to hand in soon and I'm not that bothered to be honest. I don't really need it."

Noel Womersley has used the rifle in his mobile butchers business, but says he doesn't need it.

NOEL WOMERSLEY SEMI-AUTOMATIC OWNER "I don't think we need military style weapons in our society."

The legislation to officially ban the ownership and sale of semi-automatic weapons took just one week to push through New Zealand's Parliament, and David Seymour was the only politician to vote against it.

DAVID SEYMOUR ACT PARTY LEADER "Are we changing a law that would actually have stopped the terrorist? We don't know, because we've been in such a rush to be seen to be doing something. We haven't even asked the most basic question of what problem we're trying to solve."

Farmers unsuccessfully argued to keep their high powered weapons for pest control, but John Hart was happy to give his up.

JOHN HART NEW ZEALAND FARMER "I couldn't in all conscience keep my semi-automatic rifle once I knew how I felt about them in the country and so it just seemed like the right thing to do."

OWEN POLAND AUCKLAND "The Government has declared a five month amnesty so that gun owners can surrender their semi-automatic weapons to Police. Independent advisers are also helping to develop a price list so that people get paid fair compensation for their firearms, but that only applies IF the weapons were obtained legally."

No one knows how many semi-automatics exist in New Zealand but the Government buyback is expected to cost up to two hundred million dollars.

And while Australian amnesties over the past 25 years have destroyed up to 80 per cent of semi-automatics, David Seymour expects a much lower response.

DAVID SEYMOUR ACT PARTY LEADER "We may end up with a larger black market than we started with and be in greater danger than we were on March 15 because of this ill-considered exclusionary legislative process that has actually been offensive to the parliamentary traditions that make this country what it is."

However the Prime Minister has no regrets.

JACINDA ARDERN NEW ZEALAND PRIME MINISTER "Mr Speaker, we are ultimately here because 50 people died and they do not have a voice. We in this House are their voice and today, Mr Speaker, we have used that voice wisely."

Owen Poland, CGTN, Auckland.