By CASEY NEILL
Shooters can buy the Springvale site they’ve used for 40 years and secure its future thanks to a law change.
On Thursday 26 May, the Victorian Legislative Council – State Parliament’s upper house – passed a bill that would allow the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (SSAA) to purchase the Princes Highway shooting range.
The Land Revocation Bill paves the way for SSAA Victoria to remove the ever-present risk that its lease of the Crown land from Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust (SMCT) could end or be revoked, leaving the range with nowhere to go.
SSAA Victoria CEO Jack Wegman said people visited the site to shoot rifle, pistol, air rifle and air pistol.
“We have 1400 visitors attend the range each month,” he said.
“This number is increasing steadily as interest in the shooting sports grows.”
Mr Wegman has been campaigning for years to secure the site.
“A clause of the Land Revocation Bill 2016 administratively moves the land that the Springvale range resides on, allowing the association to fulfil its long-standing goal of purchasing the land,” he said.
“The Springvale range is a hub of SSAA Victoria and where many new sporting shooters are introduced to the sport.
“This change will allow us to move forward with our plan to purchase the land and continue introducing more people to the safe, fun and inclusive sport.”
Mr Wegman said the venue hosted many state title competitions.
“We even had a national title for pistol there last November,” he said.
“People come from around the country.
“There aren’t too many shooting ranges in Melbourne so they come from right out past Pakenham and out to the Mornington Peninsula.
“They do come from far and wide.”
SSAA Victoria worked closely with Shooters and Fishers Party Eastern Victoria Region MP Jeff Bourman, who has also thrown his support behind securing the range.
“Shooting is a fast-growing, inclusive sport with more licensed individuals from all sectors of society than ever participating,” he said.
“It’s also encouraging to see females are the fastest-growing segment of sports shooting at the moment, with participant levels growing year-on-year.
“Having an accessible location to participate in the sport is vital for community access, meaning more people can give it a try and more people can practise and improve their skills.”
