There has been a threat hanging over the heads of shooters from the NSW Rifle Association (NSWRA) and NSW Smallbore Association in recent months since the revocation of the licence to shoot at Malabar was enacted by the NSW Firearms Registry (FAR) in early July.
The revocation came about after a bushwalker, illegally accessing the headland within the safety template, complained of a bullet going close by in her vicinity.
The FAR had no alternative upon hearing the report but to close the range and direct remedial action to tighten security measures on the range boundaries. NSWRA member club volunteers have since done a mighty job in making the site more secure, plugging gaps in fences, renewing and replacing signage and instigating a system of sentries posted and clearing patrols prior to and during programmed shoots. In addition, they have undertaken an education campaign aimed at informing the local non-shooting population about the changes.
It remains to be seen however, whether these member clubs will still be on the range after we see if the Commonwealth Government’s 31st October 2011 range closure edict becomes reality. The shooters’ leases with the Commonwealth say they must be seamlessly relocated to suitable facilities in the Sydney area. With other ranges operation at capacity on weekends it could be some time before said relocation takes effect.
Watch this space…
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