Renewed calls are being made to register firearms after three separate shootings over the weekend.

The Police Association wants action, saying members of the public are being hurt.

A Wellington cab driver is in hospital after being shot in the shoulder with a small calibre weapon on Saturday night.

Police describe the shooting as a nasty and unwarranted attack.

Two more people were badly injured in shootings in Hawke's Bay and in the Auckland suburb of Helensville.

PA President Chris Cahill said the public deserves to know what firearms are in the community and where those guns are.

"Criminals now aren't just using firearms against each other, but they are using them to commit offences against members of the public. So we think there needs to be better control."

Cahill said police regularly come face-to-face with criminals who have guns.

He warns that officers will need to fight fire with fire if criminal gun-use worsens.

"We'd rather that they didn't have to be armed and that there were less firearms in the community. But if that's not the case then the officers need to have ready access to them, because getting them out of the boot of the vehicle isn't the answer."