The Queensland Weapons Licensing Branch has defended its decision to a refuse a semi-automatic gun licence to a grazier.

Grazier Tony Kleaver, from Glenmorgan west of Toowoomba, wanted a semi-automatic gun licence to cull wild dogs which are killing his cattle.

He is now threatening to clear 600 hectares of his property.

But Weapon’s Licencing Branch inspector Gerry Brown says it is very difficult to obtain a license to use semi-automatic guns, following the Port Arthur massacre.

And he says Mr Kleaver should consider other methods of culling.

“The use of weapons in vermon is not the only method of eradication and there are baiting methods and other methods not using firearms which may well be more effective than firearms altogether,” he said.

Chinchilla gun dealer Graham Pointing has supported Mr Kleaver, saying single shot rifles are not fast enough to cull packs of dogs.

“There is absolutely no reason why this weapons licensing branch shouldn’t authorise a category D licenses to these property owners that need them to destroy vermon,” Mr Pointing said.

“If you see a mob of dogs in pretty thick timber, if you don’t have a semi-automatic weapon you will only get one shot where as with a semi-automatic you can just keep shooting until the dogs are out of sight.”

But Police Inspector Gerry Brown of the Weapons Licensing Branch, says Mr Kleaver does not qualify for a semi-automatic gun license.

“Category D weapons of course are the semi-automatic centre fire rifles, military style rifle and others and they are the weapons which were or are made more difficult to acquire following the Port Arthur incident,” he said.

“And as far as his application is concerned he did not satisfy me that he had the need for that category of weapon and I rejected it.”