Cootamundra MP Steph Cooke with members of the Ardlethan Beckom Sporting Clays Club. Photo: Supplied.
The Ardlethan Beckom Sporting Clays Club will receive $6000 in funding from the State Government’s Safe Shooting Program, which will be used to purchase three additional traps.
Sporting Clays Australia is a not-for-profit organisation that promotes sporting clays and trench shooting at all levels, and is run by experienced volunteers.
Sporting clays is a form of clay pigeon shooting, with clay targets of various sizes thrown from trap machines at various angles, trajectories, speeds and distances.
A course generally has 10 to 15 unique stations laid out over natural terrain and the sport is often referred to as “golf with a shotgun“.
Ardlethan Beckom Sporting Clays Club Vice President Robert Mutton said the investment would allow the club’s volunteers to enjoy events and bond with new members, as they’ve had to constantly leave their squad to set courses.
“Volunteers were often having to leave their squad to manually set up traps,” Mr Mutton said.
“Now we can keep those squads together so they can communicate, have a bit of banter, and have a bit of fun.
“That’s what these clubs are about, having a place for the community and particularly our farmers to come together. They’re mates creating mates in the end.”
Cootamundra MP Steph Cooke said the three additional traps would assist the club in hosting more robust competitions and improve the overall experience for new and existing members.
“This is a terrific outcome for a club that continues to provide a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment for local shooters,” Ms Cooke said.
“The new traps will allow the committee to design more dynamic and interesting ranges while also supporting the safety and wellbeing of volunteers who help run events.”
The Safe Shooting Program aims to improve sport shooting facilities across NSW to provide a safe, inclusive and accessible shooting environments for local communities.
The State Government has allocated up to $800,000 for this program in 2024-25, and provides each facility with grants between $10,000 and $50,000.
The Safe Shooting Program supports projects that incorporate inclusive design and improve environmental sustainability, while increasing use of existing facilities and encouraging greater participation.
“This investment is about making shooting sports safer and more accessible to a broader section of the community, particularly in our regional areas where clubs play a vital social role,” Ms Cooke said.
