Thread: Arms (Shooting Clubs Ranges and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2024

As an operator of several "non-club affiliated" rifle ranges, and having had a bunch of input to a bunch of other range's certification applications I see this "enrollment" as an improvement but the devil will be in the detail. I am quite disappointed the "Repeal of Section 6" has not come to pass, as was promised pre-election.

The wording of the Act is vague at best and I suspect we won't see any detail until we see the wording of the Regulations. For example there isn't any detail in the bill as to what "information and documents that are prescribed" means. And the Commissioner may still "make whatever inquiries the Commissioner considers necessary" and request the applicant "provide any further information"...

The Department of Justice Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) lines up non-pistol shooting ranges to be certified by the "Regulator" or by a "Governing Body" but doesn't go further into the definition of a "governing body". At first impression my guess is that "governing body" is meant to refer to one of the national shooting organisations (e.g. Pistol NZ, NRA, NZDA, TSNZ, Clay Target NZ, etc.). The RIS also doesn't go into any further detail about what regulations may be imposed on these "governing bodies" - for example it will be interesting to see if the range manuals for a governing body will have to be approved by the "regulator", and if they do then will those new range manuals have to meet the current FSA/Police Range Manual...

Lastly, a minor point... but if I have submitted a range certification application but have not yet received my certificate by the time the act is ammended will I get a refund? And then I can pay the separate (possibly less fee for "enrollment"? If I have a currently certified range, will I still have to pay the enrollment fee?