SSAA NSW

12 Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (NSW) Inc. We recently took the opportunity to ask all political parties to provide answers into a few key areas that you, our members and Branches, have expressed a desire to find out following our market research project. We covered off on 4 key topic areas being; • Funding support • Legislative consultation • Contribution of the shooting sports to NSW, and • Conservation volunteers We have published the answer received as at our publication deadline. We thank those parties who have responded. As we get more responses we will endeavour to share them. We thank the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party, Liberal Democrats and One Nation for responding. • Robert Borsak 1. How would your party support funding to expand shooting ranges and increase participation in shooting sports? The Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party is the only party which unconditionally supports and campaigns for the development of shooting ranges and increased participation in our shooting sports and hunting culture. Our party's commitment to this is backed up by a 24-year track record in advocating for and delivering new and improved shooting ranges for licensed shooters in NSW. In the last eight years alone, we have been able to deliver: - Over $5,000,000 in safe shooting grants to shooting and hunting clubs, to upgrade and build shooting ranges and facilities across the state and provide for other club requirements. Further we have delivered over $15,000,000 for ranges at St Ives Pistol club, a brand-new rifle range at the Peninsular Firearm Academy Terrey Hills, the Southern Highlands Regional Shooting Complex which offers 100 to 800 metre ranges, also pistol and shotgun facilities and many other minor projects over recent times across the state. These are all long-term projects with new ones in the pipeline. We don't just preach safe shooting - we understand it. We firmly believe in the growth of our sport and our culture. 2. Would your party support an effective Firearms Consultative Committee that included SSAA NSW to assist the Government in developing legislation that is evidence based, supports law abiding firearm owners, is in the public interest and targets the criminal use of firearms? Yes. In fact, Robert Borsak for the SFF negotiated and inaugurated such consultations and committees in 2014, he specifically did include the SSAA, with the then management of the FAR, committees that continue today. Some excellent work has been done, good recommendations made but in nearly all cases they have fallen on deaf ears of a government that hates shooters and wants them further over regulated and punished. In the end the enforcement powers of police are enhanced at the expense of law-abiding shooters. 3. What do you see as the contribution of the combined shooting sports to NSW. If you see a value, how can your party assist to support this important part of the economy? Contrary to public opinion, shooting sports and recreational hunting are amongst the safest recreational pursuits in NSW. Sporting shooting takes skill, patience and practice - the type that has helped produce some of our best Olympians. Recreational hunting is the oldest of human pursuits and traditions. For a large part of our existence this is how we survived. Today, cultural recreational hunting not only helps control growing pest and feral animal numbers, it puts food on the table, it helps bridge the gap between consumption and source of food and helps bridge the city country divide. Economically, every shooter knows just how expensive their hobby and culture is. Shooting and hunting directly contributed over $1.5 billion into NSW economy in 2017 alone. Indirectly, tens of thousands of hunters and Election 2019 Many of you will be aware that SSAA NSW holds the position of supporting pro-firearm pro-SSAA NSW politicians, candidates and parties.

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