We go back to the issue of helping our friends in the Land Down Under as they continue the push for the legalisation of airsoft in Australia. In recent months, the efforts have been graining traction with politicians starting to listen to what advocates for sport/hobby have to say and some agreeing to support such.

These new developments have been due in part to an increasing and louder voice of organised airsoft enthusiasts in the country such as the Western Australian Airsoft Club and the Australian Airsoft Council. They are leaving no stone unturned, working at the state level all the way up to the federal level. The more politicians to start noticing them, the better, as airsoft advocates should be visible and more vocal in order to be heard.

Western Australia Airsoft Club at Supanova Perth 2017

Apart from the efforts at the local and national levels, they have started to build up links, especially with the cooperation established with the United Kingdom Airsoft Players’ Union (UKAPU). The UKAPU are spearheading the international pressure on the Australian government, especially with the Australian Parliament, to enact laws that will legalise airsoft and allow for the importation of airsoft guns. Australia is perhaps the only country in the Western World where airsoft is illegal.

Now, the UKAPU want to enjoin every airsofter in every country in the world where it is legal to help sign the petition that has put up at the Australian Parliament. It is always a numbers game, the more petitioners; the more the proponents get heard:

AUSTRALIAN AIRSOFT NEEDS YOUR HELP!

As part of ongoing efforts to legalise airsoft across Australia, Australian airsofters have created a petition calling for an amendment to the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956 that controls the importation of airsoft replicas into Australia.

The problem with this particular set of regulations is that it places massive restrictions on the importation of airsoft replicas into Australia, based purely on their resemblance to real firearms and their select fire capabilities. On top of that they are required to satisfy a number of safety tests that are entirely disproportionate to the risk they pose. Airsoft replicas discharge BB’s at a far lower energy than paintball guns yet paintball is legal in Australia. Go figure!

The petition can be signed by anyone, whether they live in Australia or not. The only requirement is that you have a valid e-mail address.

ClICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION

We, as airsofters, should all get behind this so get signing and sharing. Lets help our brothers and sisters down under bring our great sport back to Australia!

The petition is easy to sign and it won’t take much of your time. Wherever you are, whether in the airsoft field, out on a holiday, or just sitting on the sofa at home, open your computer or smartphone and click on the link the UKAPU have provided. Share this to your team mates or airsoft group on Facebook.  Have everyone sign the petition. Please do make sure that the email address is valid and no spamming is tolerated. The airsoft player is a sport of honour and airsofters are players of honour.

Let’s get going, help UKAPU and the Australian Airsoft Community get the international support needed to finally have airsoft listened at higher levels of the Australian government.

Top photo: Cosplayers signing their support for airsoft at the Western Australia Airsoft Club during the Supenova 2017 in Perth. (Source: Western Australia Airsoft Club Facebook Page).