Tougher penalties, but no gun limit under Tasmania's proposed new laws

The Tasmanian government has unveiled proposed new gun laws which create tougher penalties for the theft and possession of stolen firearms, but do not include gun caps.

Proposed amendments to the Firearms Act have been developed in the wake of last year's antisemitic terror attack in Bondi, in which two gunmen killed 15 people.

Following the tragedy, the federal government urged all states and territories to implement a National Firearms Register, which was first proposed after the Port Arthur massacre in 1996.

It also called on jurisdictions to tighten firearm laws by reclassifying certain types of weapons and requiring Australian citizenship to obtain a gun licence.

Additionally, it requested that states limit the number of guns an individual can own.

The Tasmanian government's proposed legislation would put into law several of those measures, including the state's involvement in the National Firearms Agreement.

"The Bondi terrorist attack showed the devastating consequences of a failure to share intelligence across jurisdictions and agencies," Police Minister Felix Ellis said.

"These reforms are about making sure the right information is available to law enforcement when they are making decisions about who should have access to firearms."

The proposed legislation would also introduce a range of other reforms, including:

Reclassification of straight pull and button/lever release centre-fire rifles and shotguns to a more restrictive Category C licence

Establishing Australian citizenship as the default eligibility requirement for firearms licensing, with limited exemptions for New Zealand citizens

The introduction of magazine ammunition capacity limits for some category A and B firearms

The state government said it was still in negotiations with the federal government about funding a gun buyback scheme for individuals affected by the reforms.

"We have committed to compensation of 1.5 times market value for the firearms being reclassified, and any other voluntary buyback at market value," Mr Ellis said.

"The federal government announced the buyback six months ago, however there has been no significant updates since then."

Mandatory minimum sentence for stolen firearms

The proposed amendments would also increase penalties for people who steal firearms or are in possession of stolen guns.

Under the changes, individuals convicted of such offences would face a mandatory minimum jail term of three months.

"If you steal a firearm, or you're caught with a stolen firearm, you should expect to spend time behind bars," Mr Ellis said.

"Stolen firearms fuel the black market, empower organised crime and put our community at risk."

Mr Ellis has been a vocal critic of a firearms cap, despite support for the measure from Tasmania's Police Commissioner and gun safety advocates.

As such, the Tasmanian government is not considering such a restriction.

"Our focus is on keeping firearms out of the hands of terrorists and criminals, not penalising law-abiding licence holders," Mr Ellis said.

The proposed legislation is open for public consultation until August 7.