By Casey Neill
The Springvale Shooting Range’s future is finally locked in following years of uncertainty.
The Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (SSAA) Victorian branch has bought the property from the State Government.
CEO Jack Wegman said it was a “monumental win for our members”.
“It was a long and convoluted journey involving two State Governments, seven different government departments and changes to an act of parliament,” he said.
SSAA Victoria started leasing the range back in 1973.
In 2013, the State Government agreed to sell the range to the group and in 2016 passed a bill to allow it to happen.
The sale is now official and the range will celebrate with an open night from 6pm to 9pm on Thursday 3 August.
SSAA spokeswoman Caitlin Pearson invited the public to attend and try out the range at a discounted rate.
She said about 445 people attend the range each week, excluding group bookings, and a large portion were first-timers.
Luke Morrison is one of them, and volunteers as a range officer.
“I used to shoot when I lived in the country. I came down here and I missed it,” he said.
“I found the Springvale range was not too far from me.
“I came down and had a look.
“The next thing I know I’m spending once or twice a week down here.”
Mr Morrison is a pistol shooter. He competes and enjoys teaching newcomers to the sport.
“It’s actually a very hard sport,” he said.
“It’s a lot harder than it looks in the movies, that’s for sure.
“I’ve got my son into it now, so he’s got a junior licence.
“There is quite a lot of juniors, a lot of teens getting involved.
“Lots of girls are shooting,” he said.
“Most of the time they’re better than the boys.”
He said the rifle range gave people an opportunity to try shooting for the first time.
“You get a lot of families, scout groups. There’s a real mix of people,” he said.
“It is a cultural melting pot out here on the range.”
He said people came from as far afield as Point Cook to shoot at the range, and competitors grabbed a meal and had a laugh afterwards.
Mr Morrison was relieved about the sale.
“Being leased you don’t know if you’re going to have somewhere to shoot next year or next week,” he said.
“Now they can maybe put some money back into it now that they actually own it.”
