In October of last year, SSAA Inc (national) announced SSAA Queensland had been suspended for non-payment of fees in line with the constitution. There were a lot of questions about this decision and also about how the SSAA membership works. Our CEO Tom Kenyon addresses some of those questions in this month’s National News.
The SSAA (web)page says “When joining a SSAA State or Territory association, you will be part of Australia’s premier shooting body” – which it clearly isn’t. I thought I was joining the national body?
When you join as a member of SSAA you are actually joining your state or territory association (Full Member Body – FMB). That state or territory then joins the national body so, while you’re part of the SSAA national “family”, you’re are not a member of SSAA Inc (national). Once a state or territory refuses to pay the membership fee set by the board, its membership is either suspended or cancelled. In this case, SSAA Qld has been suspended.
Division in the ranks at a time when government want to take away our rights, we have people in our community working hard to create disunity when we need unity more than ever.
We agree. We are really disappointed it has come to this.
What a lot of sh*t, Qld SSAA is still running, no need to end your membership, we are covered and still members. These are just scare tactics, I called Qld myself.
There are no scare tactics. Members of SSAA Qld are still members of SSAA Qld. What has changed is the status of SSAA Qld’s membership of SSAA Inc (national). From 1 January 2026, SSAA Qld members will no longer be able to compete in national championships or be selected for national teams. SSAA Qld will have no voting rights at any national forum such as SSAA Inc board meetings or the SSAA Inc AGM or other General Meetings. SSAA Qld members will not receive copies of Australian Shooter nor discounts on SSAA merchandise or publications. SSAA Inc (national) is simply trying to inform members of the SSAA Full Member Bodies of decisions SSAA Inc (national) has made. We have tried to be open and transparent about what has happened and what this means for SSAA Qld and its members.
Why didn’t SSAAQ pay their fees? What’s the history?
It’s hard for us to speculate about why SSAA Qld did what they did, but we think it fair to say they wanted to provide more and more services to members by themselves. In the end, SSAA Qld did not want to pay the affiliation fee that SSAA Inc (national) set ($7.11 pls GST per member) and after six months, their membership was suspended. The board sincerely hopes SSAA Qld will take the necessary steps to have the suspension lifted.
Would be easier to pay the $970k of our fees we paid to the association and this will all end, I wouldn’t be joining any club yet, Qld may just pay up. They legally can’t withhold $ for fees when they can’t provide the full services the fee is for!
We would love SSAA Qld to resume full financial membership of SSAA Inc. That’s why we suspended their membership rather than expelled them. We believe it’s really important to work together around the country for the future of shooting in Australia but that’s a decision SSAA Qld need to make for themselves and we don’t know how long that might take. In the meantime, we are providing a way for Queensland shooters to remain part of the broader SSAA Inc (national) family.
This is not the fault of local Qld SSAA branch members, so why are we being punished by SSAA National? Why can’t National let Qld members keep attending national titles while this is sorted out? Seems spiteful towards branch members.
SSAA Qld has not been paying membership fees on to SSAA Inc (national) since January 2025. Part of the membership fees contributes towards the cost of running national titles and subsidising the travel costs of Australian teams. In fairness to SSAA Qld members, they were allowed to compete in national titles until the end of 2025. After that date, you have to wait for SSAA Qld to decide to resume its financial standing or join another SSAA organisation that’s in good standing, such as SSAA Queensland Hunting and Shooting. Just like any club or association, if SSAA Qld wants to be a member, it needs to pay the set membership fee just like every other state and territory.
If I was a lifetime member prior, will my status transfer to QHS?
If you joined as a life member before 1 January 2025, you are recognised as a life member of the SSAA nationally (including SSAA QHS). If you are in this category, please contact our membership office on (02) 8805 3900 or [email protected] to make sure we have up to date contact details for you. If you paid as a life member after 1 January 2025, your life membership will not transfer over as the necessary fee was not paid to the National Association (SSAA Inc) by SSAA Qld.
QHS Limited was started two weeks ago and registered as a business in SA, what the hell is going on? As a lifetime member of the SSAA (National, because that’s where my money went, and what my card says) I sure hope that transfers or something? Also – what does this mean for those of us with pistol licenses?
SSAA QHS was formed with the assistance of SSAA Inc National Office which is located in Adelaide. SSAA QHS is primarily run by Queenslanders Steve Knight and Richard White. And Christine. See previous answer about life memberships but the short answer is yes it transfers in almost all cases.
Does this affect our genuine reason. Do we have to change or pay again to stay legal?
No, you do not need to pay again. If you remain a member of SSAA Qld, you will still have your genuine reason. SSAA QHS has applied for status as a genuine reason. Once this is approved, you will be able to join at a time that suits you and be a member of an organisation which is a full member of the National Association with all be benefits that come with it.
Does QHS have firearms insurance?
Yes, it does. SSAA QHS is part of the National Association and members have access to SSAA Mutual Firearms Protection – $25,000 cover for $35.
I joined SSAA and paid for insurance, is it still covered?
SSAA Qld provides public liability cover and firearms cover (at extra cost). This remains in place as long as you are a member. SSAA QHS provides Public Liability Insurance and firearms cover (at extra cost). You are covered by this as soon as you join. The only difference between the two is the way the public liability insurance/cover is provided. SSAA QHS is part of the national insurance arrangements which secures insurance cover through an insurance company. SSAA Qld provides public liability cover through a mutual association.
If we swap to QHS do the fees we’ve already paid transfer over?
Unfortunately, no. That’s what caused the problem in the first place. SSAA Qld stopped paying affiliation fees to SSAA Inc (national) and has been suspended. You can either wait until your membership renewal rolls around and Join SSAA QHS then or join both.
So on the membership portal, are we new or renewing? I asked to be included for the original magazine months ago but never got that. I don’t like the new Qld magazine.
The best thing to do is to ring the national membership office on (02) 8805 3900. They will be able to talk you through the process and will even try to make sure you get your old SSAA membership number back.
When my membership expires, do I join the new one? Does this affect me shooting at my local range?
It depends on what you need. If you’re a member of SSAA QHS and there is not currently one in your area, you will need to also join another organisation which gives you access to ranges or visit as a non-member. If you don’t need to shoot at a range, you can join SSAA QHS and receive all the benefits of being part of the SSAA “family”.
Who owns the SSAA ranges in Qld/ each state?
It varies. In Queensland, SSAA Qld owns some ranges and others are owned or leased by the clubs which operate on them. This is true around the rest of the country as well. Some ranges are owned by the state organisation and others are owned or leased by the clubs which operate on them.
If we travel interstate and attend a SSAA range, are we considered a non-member and pay a higher fee? Do I need to be a member of QHS to shoot interstate?
If you’re not a member of SSAA QHS or another unsuspended full member body, you’ll be considered a non-member and may have to pay a higher fee (it will depend on the rules of the club you travel to).
To keep your licence for sporting purposes, you need to belong to a club that shoots nationally approved matches. If Qld is no longer nationally recognised, is your reason for having a licence in danger?
SSAA Inc is currently seeking legal advice about this matter and will report back to members as soon as possible. Once QHS has genuine reason (shortly) then we’re all good.
How do non-Qld shooters feel about having to now fund SSAA National’s decision to offer a free SSAA shop voucher exclusively for Qld who jump ship? I wonder if this is National-level decision-making and use of money that contributed to this mess in the first place?
At the moment, SSAA QHS has no staff to pay, clubs to support or ranges to fund. As a result, it can afford to provide some other benefits to members of QHS such as a free $50 merchandise voucher for SSAA merchandise like our new range of t-shirts and hoodies (https://onlineshop.ssaa.org.au/product-category/clothing/). Over time, we hope enough Queenslanders will value being affiliated to the national association through QHS and QHS will be able to provide a greater level of support to its members in other ways.