Shooting clubs in NSW can now apply for up to $50,000 in government payments to do things like upgrade facilities, carry out repairs, purchase equipment and increase security under the 2025/26 Safe Shooting Grants Program.
A total of $800,000 has been put aside in the program, which opens this week, with minimum individual grants of $10,000 and maximums of $50,000, excluding GST.
Applications are only open Friday, 17 November. Program guidelines are set out in a document available here.
“The Safe Shooting Program will improve the safety and quality of NSW shooting facilities, while supporting the development of the next generation of Olympic athletes,” NSW Minister for Sport Steve Kamper said.
“The program also aims to increase participation by removing barriers for underrepresented groups.”
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party MLC Robert Borsak welcomed the continuation of the program, which was instigated by the late Shooters MP John Tingle and has been championed by Mr Borsak in recent years.
“I encourage every eligible shooting club and range to apply,” Mr Borsak said. “These grants help keep our sport safe, modern, and accessible — and they’re proof that the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party delivers real results for shooters across NSW.
“The SFF fought long and hard to reinstate this program after it was axed by the O’Farrell Coalition Government. Bringing it back was a key win for our Party and for every law-abiding shooter in this State.
“This funding is essential to help clubs meet the increasingly complex and often arbitrary compliance demands placed upon them by the NSW Firearms Registry,” he said.
In the past, clubs have used the grants for widely varied purposes, from improving disabled access to re-opening ranges that were shut down for compliance reasons.
Examples of projects completed with last year’s grants include:
- Broken Hill Pistol Club was awarded $25,000 to purchase 10 Shot Marker electronic target systems
- Cooma Sporting Clays replaced its manually cocked clay throwers with electric ones, and upgraded existing lead-acid batteries to lighter lithium-FePo4 batteries, using its $31,000 grant
- SSAA Condobolin was granted almost $50,000 to replace its portable toilet with a new toilet block, showers and septic system, improving disabled access at the same time.
- Muswellbrook Pistol Club was able to re-open ranges after being granted almost $50,000 to repair safety walls that had slumped because of heavy rainfall
- Wyong District Pistol Club was granted $27,179 for an off-grid solar system, much less than the $100,000 it would have cost to get onto the mains
- Newcastle Small Bore & Air Rifle Club spent $24,000 on a lead retrieval system
- Eugowra Rifle Club used almost $22,000 to purchase two long-range target systems.
All up, 25 clubs each took a share of the total $782,656 given in grants.
Application inquiries should directed to the Office of Sport Grants Unit by email or on 13 13 02.
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