ANZAC Rifle Range Sporting Shooters Removal Notice update

[Tman]

Hi Guys, the following is further information that I received earlier today
as issued to the SSAA a couple of days ago


----- Original Message -----
From: George Papallo
To: 'Ssaa Sydney Secretary'
Sent: Monday, May 09, 2011 3:48 PM
Subject: Brief summary of the meeting with the Commonwealth

SSAA Range officers and Instructors

To keep you informed and up to date on the proposal to close the Malabar rifle Range, below is another brief summary of the meeting between the Committee and the Commonwealth last Friday 6th May 2011.

1. The main Range gate will be locked at 5pm October 31st; the range will be closed to all Range Users.
a) The Commonwealth is exercising its rights as the Owner of the Malabar site to close the Range; it will follow its obligation as stated in the licences issued to each Range User.
b) No Range User according to the existing licences has a clause in their licence that requires the Commonwealth to build the User a new range in the Sydney basin area.
c) The Commonwealth does not own any land in Sydney suitable for a rifle range.
d) Holsworthy will not be considered.
e) Minister Penny Wong will not change her mind, it is a political decision masked in Health and Safety concerns. The reports regarding Asbestos and other contaminants are not available for examination, recommendations for the management of the report findings have not been finalised.

2. All range users (except NSWRA and Small Bore) have been given the required 6 months notice as stated in their respective range licences.
3. Due to a relocation clause in the licence of some users, they have not received a notice yet, but they have been informed that they will not be on the range beyond the closing date issued to the other users.
4. ALL Range Users are required to leave on or before 31st October, no exceptions, no extensions.
5. A representative of the Commonwealth will assist the users that have a relocation clause in their Range licences to relocate.
6. Users that have the “relocation clause” are only required be given a 2 weeks notice, in keeping with their licence, to relocate, all references in licences to a “relocation clause” is summarised below

1) The date being 14days after the Owner gives to the User a Relocation Notice.

2) Relocation Notice means a notice by the Owner to the User to effect that the Holsworthy Range (or a comparable range nominated by the Owner) is available for the User’s use.


From the above extract, the Owner or Commonwealth only needs to give the Users with a relocation notice in their licence just 2 weeks notice to relocate and the owner or Commonwealth can tell the User that a Range which the Commonwealth considers suitable is available for the User to use.

7. The Commonwealth will facilitate and assist each User to move to another site but they have a limited budget.
8. Adrian Kirk ( Commonwealth) stated he would like to address all the Range Users at their next meeting so that everyone gets the same information and there is no misunderstanding as to the intention of the Commonwealth government and the 31st October termination date of ALL Range User Licences.

While all of the above appears to be doom and gloom, the main gate has been locked in previous years and with a determined will from the members it was reopened. Members need to ignore the rumours currently around the range. SSAA members are fortunate belonging to the largest shooting organisation in Australia, second only to the NRA in USA. The SSAA committee is already looking at all alternatives from a legal challenge to alternative sites.

If you require any additional information or would like any clarification on any rumour circulating round the range, please call the SSAA Sydney Branch secretary on 9349 4323 or any of the SSAA committee

SSAA Sydney Branch Committee

Ben