Something Needs to be Done

[AlanF]

Norm,

Some of our recent members have been able to join the VRA prior to having a Shooters Licence on the understanding that they need the membership as a "reason" to get a Licence. When the Licence is produced, the VRA is informed and the shooter can shoot unsupervised. Have you had a different experience?

Alan

[Razer]

In NSW there is a P650 form which any unlicensed shooter can fill in and sign and then shoot on the range. It is only good for that day and only on the range.
Obviously there has to be a RO or responsible person from the club as the form needs to be filed, just in case!
When Orange Rifle Club had a range and was still in existence, we often used them.
The same form is used at the SSAA rimfire range in Orange to allow unlicensed shooters to try out shooting or to allow a friend to shoot.
It is simple and straightforward.
This alleviates the need to turn unlicensed shooters away which is basically destroying our clubs and depriving them of future members.

[Norm]

[AlanF]

[Barry Davies]

I cannot find reference in any VRA document that states that a pre-requisite to joinng the VRA is a shooters licence.
The only pre- requisite I can find is that the person must FIRST be a member of a club.
As far as the firearms act is concerned to obtain a shooters licence you must have a good reason -- For sport or Target shooting an acceptable reason is that you must be a member " of an approved shooting CLUB or shooting association."
The way I read that is that it is only necessary to be a member of an approved CLUB to obtain a shooting licence -- then you can join the VRA if you so desire.
In a nutshell, you can be a member of a CLUB without joining the VRA ( you would need to arrange your own insurance ) but you cannot be a member of the VRA without joining a club first.
I expand that to read that SSAA members can join a FB club and partake of club activities without joining the VRA.

[johnk]

[mike H]

[Norm]

[Norm]

[AlanF]

Norm,

In my recent experience if you ask for a quick turnaround with membership cards from the VRA, you get it, usually within a week.

[johnk]

Gee, I'm glad I live in Queensland. Here, the state WLB approves clubs, not the state association, after checking whether they function in a manner consistent with providing a genuine reason. For existing clubs that QRA vouched for, that happened in 1996 or 1997 at the latest. Police's intent then and now was to ensure that providers of target shooting were in fact offering that service on an approved rifle range.

That leaves clubs to act autonomously with respect to potential new members & decide whether or not to welcome them into their club on a case by case basis.

[AlanW]

[Barry Davies]

Hi Norm,
My understanding is that any club affiliated with the VRA gains automatic approval from the police.
Any club not affiliated with the VRA must seek their own approval.
It is not mandatory that any shooting club affiliate with the VRA., rather the club is invited to affiliate if the members wish to partake of VRA/NRAA run competitions.
The VRA reserve the right to not accept a club for affiliation, but that does not mean that the club cannot operate as a separate entity providing it has police approval plus all the other necessaries that go with the formation of a shooting club.
The VRA constitution clearly outlines the procedure and requirements for club affiliation.

What Alan says in the post above is correct.

[Peter Hulett]

Having just renewed my shooter's licence I can confirm that my reason is target shooting and my evidence is membership of the "GEELONG RIFLE CLUB" not the VRA. Barry is correct.
Peter

[GrahamW]

Well, I think this thread is a new record for "longest active topic" and "most number of posts", so I just had to get in on it. 8-)

I hadn't realised just how much variation there was between the state associations in regards to new members joining, or maybe it's just different interpretations to the various states written rules.

In any case...... NSWRA has a Temporary Membership option for the purpose of obtaining your firearms license.

Membership lasts for 3 months (enough time to apply and complete all aspects of obtaining your license) @ a cost of $25.
New shooters can continue to shoot with the club using the P650 exemption while waiting for their license approval.

Once the license is obtained the new member can then pay the balance (pro rated) of membership.
This means if for some reason they are rejected on their license application they won't be out of pocket for the full membership.

It also means that new shooters can jump straight in and start learning while waiting for their license.

I had assumed all states had something similar in place, seems I was far from the correct assumption. 8-/