A survivor of the Port Arthur massacre has decried the government's decision to end a ban on the importation of a controversial shotgun.

The Abbott government last month temporarily banned thousands of Adler 110 lever-action shotguns from entering Australia while it reviewed the National Firearms Agreement following the siege at the Lindt Cafe in Sydney. It last week agreed with Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm to end the ban in a year's time, in exchange for his vote against changes Labor had proposed to a migration law.

Carolyn Loughton was shot once in the shoulder blade and her daughter Sarah was killed in the 1996 attack at a Tasmanian cafe and surrounds that left 35 people dead. Carolyn said she was "disgusted" by the decision, and that it was hypocritical for the government to pay tribute to victims of mass shootings while paving the way for the gun to be sold.

"I just wonder why the politicians stand up in Parliament and bow their heads for a minute's silence when people are massacred ... There's no place for this [gun] in Australia," she said.

Lever-action shotguns are among the most accessible, requiring the lowest level Category A licence. Gun critics have said the Adler 110, which can shoot eight rounds in eight seconds, is faster and more powerful than other models, likening them to pump-action shotguns, which require a more restrictive category C or D licence.

Senator Leyonhjelm, who long advocated for Australia's strict gun laws to be relaxed, played down such warnings. There was "nothing unusual" about the Adler 110, he said, with an "eight-shot" model already on the market. It could, however, be cheaper than similar shotguns, because it was produced in Turkey, a major gun manufacturer.

The senator, who owns two shotguns, said the Adler was "completely different" to the semi-automatic gun used in the Port Arthur attack: "If your intentions are malicious, any firearm is very dangerous."

Carolyn, who as a result of her injuries suffers an infection of the bones called osteomyelitis, rejected this: "To say [the Adler] doesn't shoot as fast or far is nonsense. If you're in a cafe [or even] a paddock you can't run that fast. To survive the injury of one bullet is horrific," she said.

The former public servant still has flashbacks of the shooting and has not been able to work since then. She has difficulty walking and has had several painful surgeries over the years, including bone and skin grafts and having screws inserted into her toes.

She urged the government to "stay vigilant" on gun regulation and dismissed the argument that some had the right to use guns for sport.

"We all have to forego what we consider to be our individual rights because we recognise there is a bigger responsibility, which is the functioning of society. Walk in my shoes, pick a coffin for your child and then tell me you have the right."

The government is still reviewing the class of shooters who will be able to access the gun under the National Firearms Agreement.

A spokeswoman for Justice Minister Michael Keenan said the government had temporarily banned lever-action guns with magazines that can hold more than five rounds following advice from law enforcement agencies, because it was concerned that a significant number were "shortly due to start arriving in Australia".

"The review of the National Firearm Agreement is ongoing and no decisions have yet been made."

The ban would end long after the review was completed.

Retiring Greens senator Penny Wright used one of her last parliamentary speeches to talk about guns this week, saying Australian gun ownership was back up to pre-Port Arthur levels. The Australian Crime Commission estimated there were about 260,000 illicit long-arms and handguns in Australia.

"There is a new wave of lobbying and spending by the firearms industry and there are clear signs that the Abbott government will weaken the laws that help ensure everyday Australians are safe from the threat of gun violence."

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