Christchurch shooting: NZ bans assault, all military-style semi-automatic rifles, changes gun laws

Wellington, Mar 21: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Thursday has announced a ban on all military-style semi-automatic weapons and all assault rifles.

She also announced immediate action to prevent stock-piling and a buyback scheme that could cost anywhere between $100m and $200m.

Speaking in Wellington, announcing the stronger gun laws, she said changes to the laws after the Aramona massacre in 1990, and subsequent additions in following years, did not go far enough.

All semi-automatic weapons used during the terrorist attack on Friday would be banned.

"As I've said, what we've done here is taken out the guns out of circulation that are most critical to be addressed urgently and that's what we've announced, with essentially almost immediate effect," said Ardern.

"There is more to be done and tranche two will look at issues around licensing, issues around registration, issues around storage. There is a range of other amendments that we believe do need to be made and that will be the second tranche of reforms yet to come."

Meanwhile, the leader of the opposition Simon Bridges has released a statement welcoming the changes proposed by the government today to reform our firearms legislation.