A man has been charged with weapons and drugs offences after he was arrested on Monday in Nowra.

Police responded to calls from the public about 7.40am following reports of a man sleeping in a vehicle with a firearm in Journal Street.

South Coast Police District officers located a man allegedly in possession of a privately made firearm.

Officers seized a homemade firearm, ammunition, a machete, methylamphetamine and cannabis within the vehicle.

A 45-year-old man was arrested and taken to Nowra Police Station.

He was charged with eight offences – possess loaded firearm public place, possess unauthorised firearm, possess ammunition w/o holding licence/permit/authority, goods in personal custody suspected being stolen, custody of knife in school, two counts of possess prohibited drug and possess/attempt to, prescribed restricted substance.

He was refused bail to appear in Bail Division Court on Tuesday.