SSAA NSW

14 beyond 5%. For an extended period, our numbers stagnated, but we have now seen two years in a row of increased membership growth taking our numbers to 59,000. Even more exciting is seeing that membership increases are occurring across nearly all age brackets particularly in the 18-50 age range. Our President Lance, our Board and myself have advocated strongly for more women in our sport and again we are now seeing record numbers of women becoming members of SSAA NSW and participating in our sport. This is a great result, but we cannot rest on our recent success. As our membership increases, so does our voice which is being heard by key stakeholders and at all levels of Government. With this comes positive change, but there is more to do. We really need you, our members, to encourage your wife, husband, family and/or friends to try shooting and become a member. As I always say, if we all join just one member in the next month we would be a community of over 100,000 and be able to achieve even more. Remember, we are "Stronger Together." DON'T LOSE YOUR FIREARMS LICENCE - MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL AND ATTENDANCES As you are aware SSAA NSW worked with the NSW Firearms Registry and others to ensure legal firearm owners would not be punished for their inability to complete all mandatory attendances during COVID-19. Please remember that the extended reporting period finishes in March next year and if you have taken a break from shooting during the pandemic, the March 2022 deadline will soon be upon us, so now is the time to start planning for your next shoot. NSW Firearms have indicated that compliance in this space is getting stronger and anyone who does not complete their required number of shoots, may lose their licence. This also goes for members who let their membership lapse with their Peak Association. Although SSAA NSW allows a three month grace period to renew membership without penalty, this is not the case for meeting the requirements of your firearms licence in NSW. If your membership was the only genuine reason you had to hold a licence, the moment your membership lapses, you are in breach of your licence conditions and your licence may be revoked. As the NSW Firearms Registry is implementing new technology, the information they capture will soon be in real time. SSAA NSW members, as legal firearm owners, comply with the law and are very good in this regard already. It is, however, important to note the changes that are coming across the entire shooting sports for all Associations. Today is good time to check that your licence is current and if not, renew. It is also a good time to consider how many shooting attendances you have remaining and plan to attend your local range during the course of the year to meet your requirements before the end of March 2022. SSAA NSW advocates strongly with authorities in this space but, equally, we must all comply with the law. Outside of this report, there is much more positive activity occurring at SSAA NSW. In between editions of this magazine, I encourage you to like the SSAA NSW Facebook page and if you have not provided or updated your email address with us, please do so at https://membership.ssaa. org.au/forms/change so you can receive email updates from your Association. I take this opportunity to thank our hard-working Board members and staff who have gone above and beyond to ensure all legal firearms owners are protected and that our sport and Association is future-proofed. This team, coupled with all our volunteers and 59,000 members have made my first two years in the role as your CEO enjoyable and I am honoured to work with you all. A big congratulations to our State President Lance Miller who, as you know, was elected unopposed by all the states to become our National President late last year. If you read his reports in the National magazine you will see how hard he is working right across the country on so many different issues, which is complimenting the work we are doing here in NSW. Now that restrictions are easing, I encourage you to go out to a range, undertake a hunting activity, try a new discipline and most importantly, as one of our Members recently reminded me, have fun. After not being able to shoot for a long time due to the pandemic, I must admit I have been very eager to get back out there and enjoy our sport. I have been trying different disciplines and as a result have made some new friends. Shortly, I will be taking a mate to undergo a caping course and have had the odd moment to introduce some new members to the sport also. Our sport is all-inclusive and the best thing about it is our passionate community! I will conclude in the similar manner as I started, we are achieving so many positive things both internally within SSAA NSW and externally as a united sector. We are truly "Stronger Together". As always, I look forward to seeing you at the range and/or out in the field! Jai

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