Government says shooters can resume amid COVID-19 confusion
Government confirms limited operations can resume under Stage 1 of virus response road map.
Gympie
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SHOOTING: The State Government has confirmed Gympie’s sporting shooters can return to limited action today amid confusion over eased coronavirus restrictions.
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Some in the region’s shooting community were up in arms this week after reportedly not being cleared to resume under Stage 1 of the State Government’s road map to easing Queensland restrictions.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk last week released the road map chronicling the state’s gradual return to normality in response to the pandemic, with three stages to be rolled out between now and July 10.
Stage 1, which launched at 11.59pm last night, allows for gatherings “of up to 10 people” including for “outdoor, non-contact activity”.
Gatherings of up to 20 people, including for “non-contact indoor and outdoor community sport”, were on track to be in place when Stage 2 kicked in from June 12.
The Gympie Sporting Clays community reacted with confusion, saying they could easily maintain social distancing requirements needed for safe operations out of their Sexton base.
Treasurer Paul Rigoni said the rulings appeared especially baffling given pubs and restaurants would be allowed 10 people inside at any one time, per Stage 1 of the state road map.
“We can quite easily abide by the rules the government wants like distancing and other bits and pieces as well, it just seems to us that we are being penalised where pubs and things like that are going to be allowed to open,” Rigoni said.
“We are outside, we don’t see a problem.
“We’re not a big club so we don’t get a lot of members, so we feel we’ll be able to abide by the restrictions even better.
“We have the room and the facilities to maintain social distancing.”
Member for Gympie Tony Perrett wrote to the premier this week, calling on her to “urgently lift” the restrictions. Mr Perrett said he had not received a response as of yesterday afternoon.
But a government spokesperson last night clarified once and for all that club members would be “right to start shooting tomorrow”, but only up to 10 shooters at a time.
“What cannot resume are competitions that might involve other clubs and therefore greater numbers (or) mass gatherings,” the spokesperson said.
“As long as they have no more than 10 on the premises, socially distanced, they are good to go as per the road map. Greater numbers next month as long as we keep that curve under control.”
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