Gun ownership is on the rise in Queensland with the number of registered firearms increasing by more than 30 per cent in the past six years.
Police Minister Mark Ryan has revealed there were 844,129 firearms registered with police as of June 3 in response to a question on notice from the opposition.
It's a 30.09 per cent increase since 2013 when the total number of firearms registered with police was 648,852.
Mr Ryan says the increase can be largely put down to farmers and graziers but any Queenslander has the right to apply for a gun license.
"A significant proportion of Queensland's firearms owners are farmers and graziers with legitimate reasons for the possession of a firearm including to deal with wild animals that attack their stock," he said in a statement on Wednesday.
Mr Ryan said police rigorously assess gun ownership applications and are often criticised for being too strict.
The Palaszczuk government makes no apology for this and community safety must always come first, he said.
The increase in gun numbers is reflected in the number of licenses granted by police over the past six years, which has increased from 162,860 to 196,399.
Australian Associated Press
