Thread: Shooting rules for near a public road

How far away from the centreline of a public road do you have to be by law to shoot clays with a shotgun? On 3 acre property with no neighbours surrounded by paddocks but next to a public road?


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My thoughts are as long as your not shooting from the main road you should be right, but how you go about the rule frighten or annoy might be a different story.

Used to be 50 metres I thought?

Yeah, doesn't work like that, there is no distance you have to be, or distance you can use to make sure you're safe.

The law goes as follows (This is a direct copy and paste from the Arms act and is not personal perception, but legislation):

Discharging firearm, airgun, pistol, or restricted weapon in or near dwellinghouse or public place
Every person commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or to a fine not exceeding $3,000 or to both who, without reasonable cause, discharges a firearm, airgun, pistol, or restricted weapon in or near—
(a)a dwellinghouse; or
(b)a public place,—
so as to endanger property or to endanger, annoy, or frighten any person.



Police don't see sport shooting as a reasonable cause either....

I'd be shooting away from the road into nothing but paddocks for miles. Nearest neighbour is about 700 meters away and doesn't mind. Just the public road behind that's the concern as we would be probly 60 meters away. The road is a country road off a main road.


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Yea I've always known it to be 50 meters from the centreline of a public road


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50 Meters isn't going to assure you anything, please be aware of that.
Read the legislation I quoted and make your own decision based on that.
All it takes is for someone to be walking or driving by to say you're annoying them.

Originally Posted by Jexla

Yeah, doesn't work like that, there is no distance you have to be, or distance you can use to make sure you're safe.

The law goes as follows (This is a direct copy and paste from the Arms act and is not personal perception, but legislation):

Discharging firearm, airgun, pistol, or restricted weapon in or near dwellinghouse or public place
Every person commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or to a fine not exceeding $3,000 or to both who, without reasonable cause, discharges a firearm, airgun, pistol, or restricted weapon in or near—
(a)a dwellinghouse; or
(b)a public place,—
so as to endanger property or to endanger, annoy, or frighten any person.



Police don't see sport shooting as a reasonable cause either....

And that's exactly where the law is open to interpretation. How you overcome it is beyond me, maybe ring the local police and tell them what your doing, put some signs up on the road saying live gun fire. I think it's a bullshit law just to catch people out and there must be more to it otherwise all the gun ranges could be shut down with one complaint.

2 gun clubs I am a member of shoot within 50 m of public roads. One being a main road.

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Originally Posted by R93

2 gun clubs I am a member of shoot within 50 m of public roads. One being a main road.

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Weber Rd one would be as close too.

I have a rifle or gun on my quad every day and shoot magies from the side of road daily. Cop car went past and just waved they know who you are in our district.

Originally Posted by screamO

And that's exactly where the law is open to interpretation. How you overcome it is beyond me, maybe ring the local police and tell them what your doing, put some signs up on the road saying live gun fire. I think it's a bullshit law just to catch people out and there must be more to it otherwise all the gun ranges could be shut down with one complaint.

Exactly the issue. But ranges are exempt as they're purpose designed and had to go through procedures to become a range, if where they were was an issue it wouldn't have made it through those procedures.

Originally Posted by Jexla

Yeah, doesn't work like that, there is no distance you have to be, or distance you can use to make sure you're safe.

The law goes as follows (This is a direct copy and paste from the Arms act and is not personal perception, but legislation):

Discharging firearm, airgun, pistol, or restricted weapon in or near dwellinghouse or public place
Every person commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or to a fine not exceeding $3,000 or to both who, without reasonable cause, discharges a firearm, airgun, pistol, or restricted weapon in or near—
(a)a dwellinghouse; or
(b)a public place,—
so as to endanger property or to endanger, annoy, or frighten any person.



Police don't see sport shooting as a reasonable cause either....

Hopefully it's a matter of interpretation, near is vague but endanger property etc, I think has been in a couple of cases has been interpreted as deliberately intending to damage, annoy or frighten. Get on the good side of your local cop, discuss what they think of occasional target shooting in a controlled environment and go from there.
I sometimes shoot magpies off the verandah, in the trees behind the house. The family only complain if it's the shotty, and before 6.30am

Just do it and use your common sense.
Erect a screen of some sort between the shooter and the road so people can't see you and don't shoot when someone is driving/walking/riding past.
Then no one should have anything to complain about.
Also, if someone does complain the police will see you have made an effort to minimise the chance of upsetting anyone.

There is no arbitrary distance limit. I have dinner heaps of shotgun shooting next to roads and it's always safer to set up next to the road and shoot away from it. If you are worried about passing motorists then ring the police communication centre and let them know you are doing this. If they receive a complaint they will ring your cell instead of sending out the armed offenders squad.

Originally Posted by HazeNZ

I'd be shooting away from the road into nothing but paddocks for miles. Nearest neighbour is about 700 meters away and doesn't mind. Just the public road behind that's the concern as we would be probly 60 meters away. The road is a country road off a main road.


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And with that I'd say you'd be fine.