Australia has some of the strictest digital blueprint laws anywhere.
Australia targets the CAD file directly, and the penalties are severe. In New South Wales, simply having a printable firearm blueprint on a hard drive or SD card can carry up to 14 years in prison. New Zealand takes a similar line on component parts and actively monitors file distribution.
Firearms Act 1996 (New South Wales), section 51F: a specific criminal offence to possess or distribute digital CAD files or blueprints for printed firearms. Simply holding the file on a hard drive or SD card can lead to up to 14 years in prison.
Firearms (Digital Blueprints for 3D Printing) Amendment Act (South Australia): criminalises unauthorised possession, sharing or downloading of printable firearm designs.
Therapeutic Goods Administration: regulates printed patient-matched implants, dental devices and prosthetics. The 2021 update to the Personalised Medical Devices Framework removed broad exemptions for custom-made devices, requiring most printed implants to meet strict safety and manufacturing standards.
Arms Act 1983 and the Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Magazines, and Parts) Amendment Act: strictly control parts capable of forming semi-automatic weapons. Manufacturing or assembling component parts by printing without a licensed dealer permit is illegal.
Law enforcement actively monitors and prosecutes distribution of CAD files designed to manufacture prohibited firearm components or magazine extensions.