SSAA NSW

Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (NSW) Inc. 3 Compared to the rest of the world from our point of view Australia is doing well, lagging behind the world-wide trends in population growth and also still having large properties and plenty of public land for hunting. But the days of kids leaning on the back-fence post hunting rabbits without upsetting the neighbours is pretty much over. But we are still suffering the population sprawl around our ranges and favourite hunting locations. A specific example of this is the problems currently facing Goulburn range. This range has been in use for a very long time (ask Bill or Ken if you want to know exactly how long) but the council needs more tip space and that impacts on the range fallout zone. The result so far is tough restrictions on centrefire. What does this all mean to us? It simply means that indoor ranges and limited danger area ranges are becoming a necessity far faster that we would have thought - and the rate of change is accelerating. We have to plan now for income to manage the new range model if we want to stay in our sport. Currently we have two state owned range properties where the range template is contained within the property. That makes "Lucknow" at Dubbo and "Hardacres" at Armidale essential facilities for long range shooting, and as open-air ranges. We need another similar range in the South of the state. Beyond that we will need to consider baffling any other range that we want to shoot centrefire rifles on. Think about it. Start saving. Look for funding and try to get ahead of the curve. The above graph indicates how rapidly this is impacting us. Population growth is the shooting sports tsunami. Act now and future proof your range. Recently there has been a letter circulated from a Branch about the State and Branch Constitutions. The people who are pushing that agenda are entitled to their opinions and I know that they believe in their position passionately. I welcome debate on this topic at the next AGM but in the meantime would make the following statements in support of a common association constitution. 1. Because of feedback during the constitution roadshow the first draft of the constitution was modified based on this Branch's input. The modification was major because it resulted in the inclusion of the discipline process. The Branch felt that previous State Boards had not helped sufficiently in a past Branch conflict. The discipline process in our constitutions forces the State Board to act if the Branch requests a discipline hearing. 2. A common style of constitution allows all Branches and the State Board to work under a common set of rules. This is especially relevant for the understanding of discipline issues and also for managing meetings and responsibilities of Branch to State, State to Branch and Member to either Branch or State relationships. 3. With common rules the State body can better support a Branch having conflict with regulators or if the Branch is being sued. 4. The constitution supports membership growth and equal membership rights. 5. The constitution enshrines funding and outlines processes to support grant applications for member Branches. 6. Most importantly I believe, and many members say that they believe, that a unity within the shooting sports is the best solution to assist with lobbying for sensible laws and presenting a professional and trustworthy face to the public and the media. To achieve this, we should lead with example and be a strong united association. We have made steps along this path with a healthy communication path to the SFF Party and before this article is in your hands, I will be meeting with another peak shooting group to continue this pathway to a united group of independent and autonomous shooting organisations. This sounds like an oxymoron, united and independent, but we all desire our independence so communication and working together on the big picture issues is the best solution for our sport. Like our relationship with SFF, we can all have unique differences as long as we can find common ground to manage major issues. I am sorry to report that Carl Smith has resigned from the SSAA NSW Board. The circumstances of Carl's resignation were not controversial, and Carl resigned in the best interests of the Association. Carl's contribution to the Board was very positive and he has assisted in some good outcomes for the Association. We thank Carl for his contribution and hope to see him back in the future. Finally, I would like to extend our support and best wishes to Scott and Nikki Wagner and their two sons. Nikki is ill, and Scott has been granted a leave of absence by the Board to care for her and their family. Scott is still acting as a director of SSAA NSW from home via email and skype but has been excused from physically attending Board meetings. Please join with me as I hope for the very best outcomes for Nikki and their family and I hope Scott can resume his full director responsibilities soon. Stay safe on the range and in the field, Lance Miller President - SSAA (NSW) Inc.

• Cover