Shooters angered over closure decision

Apart from weekend shooters from the Goulburn Rifle Club and the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (SSAA), the NSW Police and Corrective Services staff train at the facility during the week. 

But now this rifle range’s future has been placed in jeopardy because ‘stray bullets’ might find their way into an adjoining area that has recently been flagged by Goulburn Mulwaree Council for a Mud Processing facility. This DA was placed on exhibition in June this year.

The closure of the firing range has members of the local community ‘up in arms’, especially after the council put out a press release on October 15 about it.

The council stated they had been told to close the firing range by the NSW Police Force – Firearms Registry. 

“Goulburn Mulwaree Council has been approached by the NSW Police Force – Firearms Registry to give approval for the Goulburn Rifle Range ‘Danger Zone.’ A ‘Range Danger Zone’ is defined by the NSW Police as any area of land or water within which danger of life, limb or property may be expected to occur,” the council  statement said.

“Council’s (proposed) Waste Transfer Centre is next door to the land utilised by the Rifle Club. The Range Danger Zone required by the Goulburn Rifle Club will cover a significant amount of Council’s Waste Transfer Station meaning there is potential for stray bullets to be fired into our facility.”

Members of the SSAA angrily took to Facebook in repsonse to the closure, saying: “shooting at the SSAA Range, Goulburn as well as Goulburn Rifle Club Range has been suspended by an order from Firearms Registry. They took this action because an official from Goulburn Mulwaree Council, we presume the GM, has written to Firearms Registry withdrawing ‘permissive shooting rights’, which we need to be able to use the range.” 

“We are disappointed that a facility that was used by civilians and military to build necessary skills for the Great War, as well as other conflicts, has been arbitrarily forced to cease operations.”

They also wrote an open letter to all councillors to express their disappointment.

Former SSAA president Ken Kenchington said: “it is all nonsense. They are forgetting there is a great hill in between the rifle range and the new facility, which the Firearms Registry do not recognise.” 

“We are hoping some common sense might sort this out,” Mr Kenchington said. 

“The Range Danger Zone has been there for 120 years. It is absolute nonsense, but it has come up because the council has decided to put evaporative ponds out there near our facility.

”We suggested that we could compromise by moving the angle of the range danger area 5 degrees to the right, which would then allow them to put in these ponds, but we were told that the council would be putting in more ponds and extend them right across the area where we are shooting. This is all a new development they have decided upon.”

He said Member for Goulburn Pru Goward had offered her support.

They had also sent an open letter to all councillors expressing their disappointment at the suspension of the Rifle Range. 

Other SSAA members openly challenged the council’s statement that it was initially approached by the NSW Police Firearms Registry. 

“The council was approached by SSAA, Goulburn & Districts Branch for reaffirmation of its previous approval of the Goulburn Rifle Range’s Range Danger Area,” SSAA Goulburn branch president Bill Irvine said.

“The Firearms Registry are not the initiators of an approval request, and to our knowledge only approached the council following their discussions with the SSAA president after the suspension of our Range Approval.

“This action was taken solely by the Firearms Registry...in response to a letter they received from Goulburn Mulwaree Council. I have confirmed this with the Firearms Registry.” 

On whether there is the potential for stray bullets to be fired into the council Waste Transfer Station (sludge ponds), Mr Irvine reiterated that there was a large hill in between the two facilities. 

“In the case of Goulburn Rifle Range, has anyone noticed many mentions of a large hill between the range and the area council refers to? In the colourful phrase of one of our members, for a bullet to land in the area referred to would require a suspension of the laws of physics. I wonder what Isaac Newton or Albert Einstein would have to say about that?” he said. 

He said there had been no shooting safety incidents in the facility’s 120-year history. 

Meanwhile, Goulburn Mulwaree general manager Warwick Bennett said the council is willing to continue working closely with the Firearms Registry towards a compromise.

“Council strongly supports the Goulburn Rifle Club and its illustrious history of over 100 years, but we have a responsibility to protect our staff and the community who use the Waste Transfer Station,” Mr Bennett said. 

But Mr Irvine said ‘council’s strong support’ consisted of a letter sent to NSW Firearms Registry which had the immediate result of forcing the total suspension of Goulburn Rifle Club’s ability to function.

“The effect of this letter was known to council before it was sent. ‘With friends like these, who needs enemies,” Mr Irvine said. 

A meeting was held between affected parties at the Rifle Range on Tuesday. 

Goulburn Mulwaree general manager Warwick Bennett said the council needed to ensure the range danger zone did not “impact any land accessible by staff or the community, or any land marked for future use as part of our waste operations.” 

“It would be irresponsible to put into jeopardy the future operation of our Waste Transfer Station and landfill and allow the potential of stray bullets to be fired into this facility,” Mr Bennett said. 

“We understand that the Goulburn Rifle Range needs to secure this zone in order to continue operations, however the proposal currently before us does cover a significant area that we will use for future landfill activities and operations.”

He said the council could not answer questions on behalf of the NSW Police Firearms Registry as to why they have been involved.  

“The issue of the ‘Range Danger Area’ has nothing at all to do with the drilling mud processing facility,” Mr Bennett said. 

“This is a simple issue. Council as a neighbour and an adjoining landowner has been asked for consent for a ‘range danger area’, which we have been told presents the possibility of live ammunition being fired into our property. 

“We have been advised in writing that there could be danger to life and limb by giving approval as a neighbour. We ask you, if it would be responsible of Council to give approval that in affect would put the community in harm’s way - or to use the Police’s terminology – danger to life.”

At last night’s council meeting, Mr Bennett made a presentation to councillors that outlined a chronology of events relating to the issue.