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Just thought I'd explain how hard it is..

I'm involved with a new club that is trying to set up a range on one of our members property [ 5,000 acres ]

It is only a small portion of land that will shoot up to 200 yards...with capacity to go out to 600.

Firstly you have to register the club with what we call 'Office of Fair Trading'..that's a couple of hundred bucks, we now have our Incorporated name.

$9,000 to have a caliber  sound test assessment, basically who can hear what & from where [ from .22 up to .308 .303 etc ]

Now we are engaging an ecologist to do a survey in regard to Koala habitat, trees  etc...the quote is $7,700.

These things HAVE' to be done & submitted to the governing Council [County ] with a fee of $4,000 & is non refundable even if the application is unsuccessful...a consultant 'MUST be employed to cross the T's & dot the I's, that's another approx $ 3,000.

If the council approves then you move onto establishing the range which in short terms means dealing with the state Weapons Licensing Branch ' which handles all matters dealing with ranges as well as licensing shooters.

Not sure of the cost but somewhere around $500..then there is  periodical renewals & inspections.

All this before any soil is turned, luckily the land owner has a bulldozer so mounds / berms etc can be pushed up.

We are getting there & we are confident of a positive outcome, the paper trail & requirements is very daunting but we will persist.

We will  list as  many  disciplines  as possible to shoot on the range, clays, long range, pistol, black canons, everything that is available will be applied for.

Luckily we are  affilliated with a wonderful shooting organisation  that has helped us financially as well as some local gun shops, so the financial burden has been eased a little.

There is still a bit to do but we hope to have our application in just after Xmas..at present we just have the 12 founding members & once Council hopefully gives us the go ahead we will start to open up the books for new members.

I hope you never have to experience this in the USA, not only do you have to have a gun license..it just goes on & on..safe & gun inspections, permits to buy a gun [ my state is & $43 ],sign on at ranges,  5 year license is about $ 280 for longarm & pistol, the list is endless..if I spent the time to write them all down it would make you sick.!!!!

The one good point is the authorities don't like that more & more people are jumping the hoops & applying for a license.

Aus has a population  around 26 million & it's somewhere near 2 million that have a gun license.

I've taken on the  Clubs Treasurer position & will look after the Cowboy section along with some others namely..Jackaroo, Kathouse Kelli. Bordello Baz, Excited, Deadly Downunder to name just a few..

The club will still be in existence even without a range..that's why Council approval is so important, we have support from the local police who need a training range & a lot of shooters in the area so it's fingers crossed !!

 

 

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Your article certainly points out how other parts of the world deal with firearms restrictions, and how the shooters in USA are fortunate for  our Constitution and the second amendment. Wishing you and your members the best dealing with the requirements.

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Wishing you all the best in your endeavors.

At the present time there are many articles being written about how Australia should be considered a wake up call to those of us in the States.

Every time I see an article, thread or email regarding those down under, I begin to understand a bit more how valuable our second amendment is and

how it must be defended vigorously.

All of the Aussie's (and Kiwi's as well) that I have met have had an amazingly persistent focus on those things they wish to work for.

Certain that you and your council will be the same.

Again good luck

:FlagAm:  :FlagAm:  :FlagAm:

Gateway Kid

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Thanks for the info.

 

Here our problem is finding suitable land that is also affordable. Currently land here is $6000 to over $10,000 and acre. Once you have the land, you have to generate enough income to pay the annual property taxes. Everything you do adds to the assessed value of the land, Shade, props, office building, gravel, and so on are considered improvements and the tax office will get their pound of flesh.   

 

I am aware of two ranges that could be in jeopardy simply because of the tax burden the land owner is facing.

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Just out of interest how hard would it be to kick off a brand new shooting range in the US?

 

Would you need local government approval?

Would there be fees for the approval?

Would you have to submit plans for the buildings and building works?

Could adjoining neighbor's complain about noise impacting their properties?

Back stops for bullets?

Can adjoining properties complain about projectiles leaving the range onto their properties?

 

What hoops would you need to go through for approval?

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2 hours ago, Sedalia Dave said:

Thanks for the info.

 

Here our problem is finding suitable land that is also affordable. Currently land here is $6000 to over $10,000 and acre. Once you have the land, you have to generate enough income to pay the annual property taxes. Everything you do adds to the assessed value of the land, Shade, props, office building, gravel, and so on are considered improvements and the tax office will get their pound of flesh.   

 

I am aware of two ranges that could be in jeopardy simply because of the tax burden the land owner is facing.

 

We've just spent a little under $1m upgrading our small country clubs facilities (62 members) after being paid out for our insurance policy after being totally wiped out in a bushfire at the beginning of last year, thankfully there's no taxes like mentioned above.

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23 minutes ago, Buckshot Bear said:

 

We've just spent a little under $1m upgrading our small country clubs facilities (62 members) after being paid out for our insurance policy after being totally wiped out in a bushfire at the beginning of last year, thankfully there's no taxes like mentioned above.

 

 ....... and therein lays another ongoing cost ........ that dang insurance ......   :(

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We've been lucky and also lot of hard work over 40+ years with the range (small country town and the range is deep in the bush).

 

We have applied for every government shooting grant and sporting grant available and lucked out on so many and some really big ones.

 

The State Government runs a 'Safe Shooting Grant' that allows gun clubs to nominate a proposal to upgrade their facilities up to a grant of $100,000 and sometimes in excess of double that amount.

 

Clubs can apply for that each year and nominate a new proposal. Along with applying for an assortment of other sporting grants that are available.

 

Also local community clubs that have poker machines have to by law give so much back to the local community each year, as sporting clubs gun clubs are able to apply for this as well.

 

We've just been told that a recent grant we were successful in being granted was for two heart defibrillators. 

 

 

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24 minutes ago, Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 said:

 

 ....... and therein lays another ongoing cost ........ that dang insurance ......   :(

 

We're proof in the pudding that's its a necessity Wallaby. The SSAA (Sporting Shooters' Association of Australia) who we insure through were great to us and paid us out in full.

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Insurance for the independant clubs can add up but for those with affilliations the cost is  lower..however for those that know down here not all so called shooter friendly associations are worthy of being part of.

Particularly one that I was a member of for 30 years, I gave them away 12 months ago..the price I pay is I cannot shoot National or State Cowboy titles anymore because Single Action is under their banner in Australia.

That's now changing as the shooting body our new club is covered by has affilliated with SASS, monthly / annual  shoots & privately owned clubs are not a problem.

It's crazy we have enough problems with all the crap we have to adhere to to have a gun license & setting up ranges etc, yet some of these associations won't work with each other, want the bigger slice of the pie & treat members with contempt..instead of all working together..sometimes shooters can be there own worse enemy especially in this current environment..really sad !

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17 minutes ago, Buckshot Bear said:

 

We're proof in the pudding that's its a necessity Wallaby. The SSAA (Sporting Shooters' Association of Australia) who we insure through were great to us and paid us out in full.

That's great..just remember the Insurance side is a different entity .

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41 minutes ago, Painted Mohawk SASS 77785 said:

That's great..just remember the Insurance side is a different entity .

Our main affiliaton Mohawk is our State Amateur Pistol Association/Pistol Australia. We would never surrender our autonomy to the SSAA. 

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 Mohawk,

 

Don’t forget a WRITTEN agreement with the landowner.  Be a shame if y’all put your sweat, time and blood to build.  Then have a major disagreement or worse, have the landowner tell you “Thank you, goodbye.”

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6 minutes ago, Matthew Duncan said:

 Mohawk,

 

Don’t forget a WRITTEN agreement with the landowner.  Be a shame if y’all put your sweat, time and blood to build.  Then have a major disagreement or worse, have the landowner tell you “Thank you, goodbye.”

 

That's a very good point and have written up by a very smart lawyer. One of our local full bore clubs had shot on private land for over 100 years (massive history this club), the portion of land on this working dairy farm had been left to be a full bore rifle in perpetuity, when the farm was inherited by a great grandson a few years ago his smart team of lawyers found some loopholes in the agreement and that was the end of that club.

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2 hours ago, Matthew Duncan said:

 Mohawk,

 

Don’t forget a WRITTEN agreement with the landowner.  Be a shame if y’all put your sweat, time and blood to build.  Then have a major disagreement or worse, have the landowner tell you “Thank you, goodbye.”

Hey Matt. Thankfully the landowner is the President..we are setting up a lease at a nominal charge for 10 years with the option of another 10..his children also shoot:D

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