Independent MP Helen Dalton says the Greens are out of touch with rural living. Photo: Supplied.
Griffith gun users have defended a bill introduced in NSW Parliament that seeks to establish a new hunting authority with the power to issue shooters with firearm licences that allow them to use so-called ‘silencers’ and night vision equipment, despite fierce opposition from Greens groups.
Minor party Shooters, Fishers and Farmers (SFF) introduced the “right to hunt” bill, which peak environmental body Nature Conservation Council (NCC) CEO Jacqui Mumford said would weaken firearm laws by granting recreational shooters easier access to silencers and raise serious public safety concerns.
Griffith Sporting Shooters Association president Warren Brown fired back.
“Well, firstly, they’re not silencers. That’s a Hollywood concoction. They’re sound moderators or sound suppressors,” he said.
“And I would support them … I’ve lost most of my hearing. That’s why I’m wearing hearing aids.
“But there’s also benefits to neighbours who are nearby where shooting might be happening. It stops them from being alarmed about it.”
Greens MP Sue Higginson was scathing of the proposed reforms.
“The proposed law before us seeks to enshrine a ‘right to hunt’ and allow hunters to shoot in the darkness of night, in the forests of NSW, with night vision equipment and silencers. It’s literally a horror movie nightmare unfolding before us; I just don’t understand how a government can do this to the people of NSW at this time,” she said.
Griffith-based MP Helen Dalton, an independent, former SFF member, farmer and firearm user, claimed the Greens didn’t understand rural living.
“As far as I’m concerned, the Greens, they’re not living the environment that we’ve got out where I am,” she said.
“So obviously, they’re not impacted by these feral animals as much as what we are. Because if they understood, [Greens MP Sue Higginson] wouldn’t be making some of these complaints, because we’re losing the battle [against feral animals].”
Mr Brown and Mrs Dalton believe Australia will continue to maintain its strict gun regulations.
“Australia has very strict firearms laws, and there’s no suggestion that they should be changed or watered down or anything like that,” Mr Brown said.
“This proposal is about opening up, well public land and also private land, providing the landholder is in agreement to opportunities for people to hunt, particularly feral animals, and that’s the purpose of the bounty, is to encourage people to go out and shoot foxes and cats and pigs and so on.”
On top of needing to do a gun safety course, Cr Dalton highlighted the rigorous process for would-be hunters to own firearms.
“To get a shooting licence, you had to apply about five times because they don’t want [just] anyone to have a licence,” she said. “They want to disarm us, so you have to keep going. It’s quite rigorous.
“We’ve had the gun laws coming in after the Port Arthur massacre. It’s been very, very much tightened up.
“We put our guns in a gun safe. We put our ammunition in another safe, not in the same safe. I mean, we’ve got to adhere to all these rules and regulations. I haven’t got a problem with all of that, and I certainly don’t want US-style gun laws.
“Society will not accept that sort of thing, but what we will accept are some clever shooters coming in and giving us a hand to control feral pests, and that’s what is needed.”
The Murray MP said feral animals were a danger to farmers while driving and were a menace to livestock. She said she had hit a goat while driving, and people in her community had hit pigs as wells.
“If you hit them in a vehicle, they’re going to do a lot of damage,” she said.
“They’re also financially impacting, because animals like pigs and goats, if you’ve got sheep that are lambing, they will take the lamb.
“Lambing” refers to when a female sheep (or ewe) gives birth to one or more lambs. Foxes work in pairs and will sometimes take the lamb’s kidneys or tongues so they can’t suck.
“So it’s a big financial cost, but you know, just the whole issue of seeing your livestock basically being eaten alive.”
