SSAA NSW

Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (NSW) Inc. 5 participate in target shooting matches as practice or in competition under a P650; • removal of the proposed requirement that shooting events or competitions need to be approved for individual ranges; • removal of the proposal to limit club approvals to 5 years and retention of lifetime club approvals; • removal of the proposed additional monthly reporting requirements for clubs with the status quo of annual reporting being retained; and • change in the definition of 'compliance period' to revert to the status quo rather than the licence anniversary date. However, completion of the Regulation review does not mean an end to our work with the Minister, the Government and regulatory bodies. The Minister has given a firm commitment to continued direct consultation with SSAA NSW through regular meetings. These meetings have, and will continue to focus on achieving sensible workable options to address issues raised by SSAA NSW, and its members. Some of the issues we are currently working on include: • amalgamation of target shooting and recreational hunting/ vermin control genuine reasons for AB licence holders; • increasing the number and variety of matches available for high calibre handguns; • altering the current subjective approach to firearm classification from an appearance based model to a more objective one with a focus on functionality; • repealing the Ammo Bill and the unnecessary burden it places on dealers and club armourers; • increasing access to suppressors for recreational and sporting purposes; • removing mandatory participation (attendance) requirements for longarms licence holders; • removing the restrictive criteria imposed on the approved activities for shooting ranges; and • exempting firearms with folding stocks from being classified as prohibited firearms where it is clear the folding stock is required to facilitate legitimate operation of the firearm. NSW By-elections… As the State's largest shooting body, our role is to inform our 58,000 members and other law-abiding licensed firearms owners on relevant matters that impact upon their chosen activity; this is especially important when it comes to elections. For the NSW by-elections held in October, SSAA NSW provided support to pro-firearms and pro-SSAA candidates by way of a print and online media campaign. SSAA NSW sought the views of candidates on relevant issues; all candidates that were registered by our publishing deadline were given an opportunity to answer 10 questions which covered the areas of firearms ownership and use, SSAA NSW and its activities, shooting ranges, recreational hunting and evidenced based firearms laws. The full responses (as well as non-responses) from candidates were circulated via email as well as published via our online and social media platforms to inform members and the wider community of law-abiding licensed firearms owners. The responses also formed the basis of a 'scorecard' advert that was published in a number of local publications during the week leading up to the by-elections. This was a trial run for the 2019 NSW State election. SSAA NSW will be again providing support to pro-firearm and pro- SSAA candidates; ensuring members and other LAFOs are kept fully informed on firearm related policies and views of candidates and parties running for election. Merry Christmas… Thank you to everyone who works hard to ensure the continued success of SSAA NSW. Our organisation relies heavily on the generosity and dedication of many volunteers at Branch, club and State level who give of their time tirelessly to make sure our members and visitors can continue to enjoy their chosen sport. The staff at the SSAA NSW office are a dedicated team of people who are always doing their absolute utmost to service and support our members. On behalf of us at the SSAA NSW Office, thank you for your support over the past year, and I wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous 2018. Diana Melham Executive Director - SSAA (NSW) Inc.

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