Australia's gun laws need an urgent review because rapid-fire weapons like the one used by the alleged Christchurch shooter are legally available to hunters and sport shooters.
Gun Control Australia says the existing firearm categorisation system is outdated and has led to high-powered guns flooding the recreational hunting and sport shooting market.
"These firearms pose a significant risk to community safety as they are capable of causing multiple fatalities within a short period of time," the lobby group's president Sam Lee said on Tuesday.
"Most Australians don't realise that our world-leading gun laws are being strategically dismantled as a result of decades of pressure from the well-funded and powerful gun lobby."
While New Zealand's gun laws are currently looser than Australia's, Ms Lee says the lever-action weapon in the possession of the alleged Christchurch shooter is legally available here under the two lowest gun license categories.
Military-style bolt-action and lever action shotguns have crept into the market of weapons available to category A and B licences, GCA says.
It wants Prime Minister Scott Morrison to immediately ask national security agencies to review what type of weapons are available under each licence category.
The Firearms Industry Reference Group - which GCA says is "pro-guns" - should not be involved in the review, and any findings should be made publicly available.
"Australia's firearms categories have not been properly updated since they were introduced 23 years ago following the 1996 Port Arthur massacre," Ms Lee said.
"As a result, firearms manufacturers are now able to import rapid-fire weapons ... for recreational hunting and sporting purposes."
NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced her country will tighten its gun laws, with details to be revealed in the next week.
