February 2010

Welcome

Hello all and welcome to the first edition of the SSAA National E-newsletter.

This newsletter will be sent to your email around the middle of each month and will keep you up to date on SSAA events, stories and general happenings across the country in between issues of your Australian Shooter and other magazines.

My name is Rachael Andrews and I will be responsible for compiling the E-newsletter. I have been employed as the Media Officer for the SSAA’s Media & Publications department and I look forward to developing this newsletter into an interesting read for all members.

I have been a target shooter and hunter since a young age and have been a member of the SSAA for 13 years. I have enjoyed growing up taking part in a sport that I find both challenging and fun. I hope to help the SSAA promote sports shooting and protect the rights of firearm owners across the country.

I hope you will enjoy the first edition of the E-newsletter. I will continue to develop new story ideas and ways to make this a useful and entertaining resource for members.

Rachael Andrews
Media Officer
SSAA Media & Publications

Be Part of the Solution campaign

SSAA National kicked off its Be Part of the Solution campaign in Canberra and Melbourne this month and has already received news coverage from more than 30 media outlets across the country.

Until the end of February, a billboard will be on display in Canberra Airport and posters will be visible throughout Melbourne’s CBD featuring the image of a fox to highlight the impacts introduced species have on native wildlife and livestock. Introduced animals, such as rabbits, foxes, feral cats, goats, dogs and pigs, cost Australia $720 million a year through economic and environmental losses.

SSAA Special Project Officer for Pest and Wildlife Management Matthew Godson has participated in both radio and television interviews and numerous newspapers have responded to our message. We encourage our members to actively promote this campaign and write to their local newspaper to continue to put our message out there that hunting is a legitimate and responsible method to controlling problem species.

We at the SSAA believe that we must use all the management tools available to address our introduced and native wildlife management issues and selective shooting can enhance species management efforts when used with other control methods. The majority of wildlife managers agree that to have an effective management regime, you need to use all the tools in the toolbox to achieve the best results. The majority of SSAA’s 130,000 members across the country participate in hunting activities, voluntarily putting their time, money and resources into managing the problem.

Our Be Part of the Solution billboard campaign is just one way we can educate the wider public that hunting in organised control programs can help deal with a major problem and is a humane option.

If you spot the billboard or posters in your travels, feel free to send a photo of it to: Be Part of the Solution campaign, SSAA Media & Publications, PO Box 2520, Unley, SA 5061 or edit@ssaa.org.au

SSAA membership grows despite
global financial troubles

SSAA National recorded a membership increase in 2009, during a time which saw government and individuals across the globe tighten their belts in a time of economic unrest. Indeed, the Global Financial Crisis contributed to the failure of key businesses around Australia and the world, increases in unemployment and debt and a rise in the cost of living, but the SSAA has weathered the storm.

The SSAA’s membership increase brings numbers to the all-time high of more than 130,000 members.

You can feel proud that your organisation is the largest sports shooting association and premier shooting body representing licensed firearm owners in Australia.

2010 RSPCA Australia Scientific Seminar

SSAA National spread the word that hunting is an effective conservation technique when the issue was discussed at a national forum.

SSAA National Parliamentary Lobbyist Tim Bannister and Special Project Officer Matthew Godson attended the 2010 RSPCA Australia Scientific Seminar Convergence or Conflict: Animal Welfare in Wildlife Management and Conservation on February 23, which discussed how wildlife management through hunting and other methods impacts on animal welfare. Tim and Matthew shared the view that hunting is a humane and controlled way to manage animal numbers and conserve our natural environment.

The seminar offered participants the opportunity to present a poster highlighting an aspect of wildlife management, conservation or animal welfare. The SSAA’s poster discussed and promoted ethical hunting practices and highlighted the legitimate and important role that hunters play in wildlife management and conservation.

SSAA members are obliged to follow The Hunters Code when participating in hunting activities and as a part of this, animal welfare is taken into account. The code specifies that culling or animal removal does not allow for mistreatment of an animal and that the animal must be respected and treated appropriately.

The SSAA is calling on you to be aware of news coverage of the RSPCA Australia Scientific Seminar and where appropriate, help spread our message with phone calls and letters to media outlets. The team will bring you more information about the RSPCA seminar and the SSAA’s position in an upcoming edition of Australian Shooter.

‘Genuine need’ advice

At a recent Federal Senior Officer Group (police) meeting, the issue of firearm owners possessing the .338 Lapua firearm calibre was discussed.

SSAA National and various SSAA state offices have liaised with firearm registries across the country to clarify the issue.

Members submitting a permit to acquire a firearm in this calibre should ensure they fill their state or territory’s ‘genuine need’ requirements. If you are unsure of what constitutes a ‘genuine need’, you should contact your SSAA club or State Association, who will be able to give you advice on this matter.

Federal Election lead up

In the lead up to this year’s Federal Election, SSAA National will approach all major political parties regarding their policies on recreational shooting and sustainable hunting. We will bring a round-up of these views and policies to you via the Australian Shooter magazine, the E-newsletter and the SSAA National website.

SSAA National approached all major political parties prior to the 2007 Federal Election and we look forward to presenting you with this year’s statements.

R18+ video game classification proposal

SSAA National has entered a submission to the Federal Government this month disagreeing with a proposal to introduce an R18+ classification category for computer games in Australia. The SSAA believes that the introduction of an R18+ computer games category in the Australian National Classification Scheme will affect community safety and in turn adversely affect the sport of shooting.

Research shows there are links between ultra-violent video games and aggressive behaviour and attitudes in gamers. This link cannot be ignored and with many of today’s ultra-violent video games, such as those that could receive an R18+ rating, there is a very real risk associated with allowing this type of game in Australia.

There is sufficient evidence to show that violent video games can be the source or basis of plans of would-be criminals to carry out crimes with firearms or other tools. The simplistic media and legislative response is to call for further restrictions on firearms, but that would only hinder sporting shooters who undergo police checks and abide with the country’s laws.

Computer games, films and some publications are classified under the Australian National Classification Scheme. Currently, the highest category rating in Australia for video games is MA15+ and games are either banned or require editing to pass the country’s strict guidelines.

The Federal Government is seeking public consultation on this issue. Submissions to the Federal Government close on February 28.

Firearm numbers in Australia

It’s interesting to consider that in a country with numerous laws regulating the use, licensing and ownership of firearms that the actual number of firearms in Australia is difficult to come by.

SSAA National has, in the past, requested the number of registered handguns in Australia via Freedom of Information orders with each state and territory’s firearms branches and we are still waiting for the results to create our records.

The Australian Institute of Criminology states that there are about three firearms per registered firearm owner in Australia, but the actual firearms figures are unavailable.

The question of whether there are more or less registered firearms and licensed owners since the 1996 Port Arthur mass murders remains unknown because these types of statistics are not kept on a national level.

SSAA supports red deer research project

The SSAA is working to improve Australian scientist’s understanding of wild red deer in Queensland and to assist the future management of wild deer in Australia. In a program approved late last year, SSAA National has contributed $100,000 and SSAA Queensland has contributed $60,000 for postgraduate students from The University of Queensland’s School of Animal Studies to study two existing red deer populations in South-East Queensland.

By examining red deer at Cressbrook and Perseverance Dams, a framework for sustainable management of the animal’s population can be determined - a first for Australia. Although red deer have lived in wild populations in Queensland for nearly 140 years, there is no documented information on their impacts on native vegetation.

The project aims to provide information on the relationship between deer density, impact on the environment and dispersal through human intervention, such as hunting. It will involve research into the activities of Australian deer hunters and their roles as wildlife managers, compare methods of estimating population sizes, look at the movement of male and female deer and determine the diet and environmental impacts of the deer in Queensland. This project is expected to run for at least three years.

Other partners involved in this collaborative research project include The University of Queensland, Biosecurity Queensland, the Environmental Protection Agency (Queensland), Toowoomba Regional Council, Australian Deer Association (Queensland) and the Toowoomba Pipeline Alliance.

Secure Your Gun, Secure Your Sport

The security of sports shooting relies on having responsible firearm owners who use their firearm safely, but also lock up their firearms to prevent theft.

For many years now, SSAA National has been promoting its Secure Your Gun, Secure Your Sport campaign, with the aim of educating members and the general public on how to best lock up their firearms.

The campaign was further complemented in 2008 and 2009 by our Gun Safe Voucher Program, which provided members substantial discounts when they purchased safes from certain distributors. This had the support of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Australian firearms industry representatives Beretta Australia, Foxsafe, Nioa, Raytrade and Winchester Australia.

While the Gun Safe Voucher Program finished in 2009, it is still important to heed the message. Firearm security is up to the individual, but all of us need to do the right thing to protect our sport.

The media and those opposed to the private use and ownership of firearms will try to make the most of negative publicity and it is our responsibility to make it as difficult as possible for this to occur, especially if stolen firearms are to fall into criminal hands and result in death or injury to members of the public. It is up to you to secure your firearms properly. Failure to do so may attract heavy penalties and possible loss of licence.

Different category firearms legally require different levels of security, which may range from a secure firearms cabinet to a secure safe and may include the specific positioning and installation of them in your home. Each state and territory has different laws and regulations about firearms storage, so be sure to familiarise yourself with the specifics for your area.

Hunting & Conservation undergoes name change

SSAA National’s Hunting & Conservation program has undergone a name change. The program, which involves registered members of the SSAA hunting in organised groups to control animal populations in Australia, will now be referred to as Conservation & Wildlife Management on a national level. Individual state groups have been invited to adopt the name change if they wish.

SSAA National Special Project Officer Matthew Godson said he hoped the name change would better reflect the aim of the program and would create more open and positive communication with non-hunting organisations.

More than 1000 SSAA members across the country are involved in the Conservation and Wildlife Management program, which requires them to demonstrate appreciation for wildlife, shooting accuracy and a number of other skills at a certain level.

Matthew said conservation groups may have been wary of the previous name, which highlights hunting, and that the new name could open more opportunities for the SSAA to assist government agencies and groups with conservation projects.

Conservation in your area

SSAA members and hunters play an important role in conservation and wildlife management in this country. Many are already involved in group activities in their local area, which control animal populations, whether it is rabbits, wild pigs or even wallabies.

We at SSAA National are keen to hear about what you’re doing in your local area to help the environment and protect our native animals. If you have a story and some photos to show just how valuable hunting can be in wildlife management and conservation, send them to: Media Officer Rachael Andrews, SSAA Media & Publications, PO Box 2520, Unley, SA 5061 or media@ssaa.org.au

Sneak peek at SSAA’s Cooks Companion

The SSAA’s Cooks Companion has been impressing members, politicians and media outlets across the country since its release in late 2008. The book contains easy-to-use recipes for different types of game meats and has proven to be useful for both our members and for educating the wider public about recreational hunting.

If you haven’t yet read the recipe book or if you have a budding cook in your household, order yours today. SSAA’S Cooks Companion retails for $29.95 and can be purchased from the SSAA Store.

To whet your appetite, here’s a sneak peek at one of the delicious recipes inside.