Gympie region's 18,000 licensed shooters deserve justice

OPINION: We have waited too patiently for 26 years, the 18,000 licensed shooters in this area deserve justice.

Ron Owen. Picture: Troy Jegers

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

RE THE Real Conflict Stopping the Range by Daryl Brenton, (The Gympie Times, July 6).

Please let me assure everyone, I was not the private citizen who pointed out there was a conflict of interest that was responsible for having the motion to scrap the Corella Shooting Complex removed from the council agenda.

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The day before, I did implore two staff members for an hour to remove it from the agenda, but I was told that they could not remove it, so it was not by my actions that the motion was removed.

CONTENTIOUS: A post-Port Arthur massacre story in The Gympie Times outlined local gun owner Ron Owen's opposition to proposed firearm bans nationwide. Picture: Contributed

Council reported that 20 members of the Cooloola Trail Care Alliance (cyclists) had objected to the shooting clubs using the Corella/ Wood Rd block for its new complex, but their spokesman removed their objection at a meeting with council and our local MP.

Conflict of interest allegations regarding membership of CTCA and staff of DPI and council have been raised in The Gympie Times previously and never been denied.

Shooting clays, Ron Owen. Picture: LEEROY TODD

I could not be described as a little bird, but I have mentioned to many that Federal Member Alexander Somlyay, after a visit to the site in 2004, mentioned that the council could ask the Federal Government for funding for the Cooloola Range Complex project if it so desired, and mentioned that other local councils had received funding for a shooting complex.

Federal MP Llew O'Brien mentioned to me some months ago that Gympie council had never applied for Commonwealth funding for the Range Complex and the Commonwealth had assisted shooting clubs in Maryborough.

Ron Owen. Picture: Troy Jegers

Daryl is right when he mentions council's devotion to other recreational pursuits such as libraries, pools and railways; admirable projects if they were not forced out of the ratepayers pockets. His point is very relevant, what is good enough for the goose is surely good enough for the gander.

The Federal Government and state governments legislate to force shooters to attend our clubs, yet steal our club sites that have taken lifetimes of work to build.

We have waited too patiently for 26 years, the 18,000 licensed shooters in this area deserve justice.

RON OWEN,

PRESIDENT COOLOOLA RANGE COMPLEX ASSOCIATION