The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) has announced a $40 million contribution to the government’s firearms buy-back scheme.
ACC believes removing prohibited firearms in New Zealand will reduce potential claims for firearm injuries by $70.5 million over the next 20 years.
“[W]e’re confident it will have a direct impact on the number and severity of gun injuries in New Zealand,” the state insurer said. “When someone gets injured in New Zealand, we’re there to support them in their recovery and return to work and everyday life.
“But our role starts much earlier: we try to prevent injuries occurring in the first place,” it said.
The commission mentioned Australia’s gun buy-back scheme, which it noted provides “strong evidence” of the benefits of the program. After the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, the Australian buy-back reportedly saw an accelerated reduction in firearm homicide rates (which dropped by 42%); and suicide rates (down 57%) in the seven years after the scheme was introduced.
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As part of its injury prevention initiatives, ACC noted it works in partnership with a number of agencies with a focus on falls, sports, roads, community, work, violence and self-harm, and treatment safety.
“We work to use a variety of interventions such as education, skill building, enforcement and engineering to effectively target and reduce injury,” it added.
