Police Range Inspections - What Clubs have to do

Ross Mason  - 19 October 2022 

Range Certification

Clubs should now be very aware that ALL TSNZ ranges need to be reinspected and a completed application for Range Certification be sent to Police by 24 June 2023.

Here is a list of the things that all Shooting Range Operators (SRO) need to do:

1.  Read Part 6 of the Arms Legislation (2020) here: https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/0023/latest/LMS256768.html#LMS2567
    
2.  Download – and read - the TSNZ Range Manual.  Click here for the TSNZ RANGE MANUAL
    
3. Read ALL material on this page on the Police Website:
   https://www.police.govt.nz/advice-services/firearms-and-safety/what-do-i-need-know/new-firearms-laws-and-what-they-mean/info-clubs-ranges
    
4. Read the information in each of the links given above - Things to note: Who are the Shooting Range Operators?  Who are the Shooting Range Inspectors?  Preparation for Shooting Range Operators Shooting range forms and resources.
    
5. SRO to follow the procedure in “Preparation for Shooting Range Operators”
    
6. Download the following forms from the Police website link. 
   CR1 - Shooting Range Application for Certification
   CR2 – Shooting Range Standing Orders Template
   CR3 – Shooting Range Inspection Report
   CR5 – Indoor – Shooting Range Inspection Checklist. 
    
7. Find an accessible Range Inspector. They are there to offer assistance to the SRO. Any Police Range Inspector can be accessed. See the list on the Police page above or contact TSNZ directly for TSNZ affiliated RIs.
    
8. After reading the TSNZ Range Manual, follow CR3 and fill in as much information as possible. It will be clear there are some clauses that are not applicable. Write “NA”. Confirm that the dimensions of wall and ceiling protections are adequate, bullet catchers and backstop actually work and are able to be inspected for integrity, access to the range is adequate etc. Take plenty of photographs, this will make it easier for Police to assess the Inspection Report.
    
9. Fill in the RSO template CR2. Keep to the format in the template, again, if any clause is not appropriate tag with “NA”. Note special aspects of your range that help to ensure safe operation. Note that TSNZ Shooting Rules have safety operations and procedures already written so utilise that fact as a way to eliminate repetition. Police are keen to ensure new untrained shooters follow the Arms Act. That is, write a short explanation emphasising the sequence of how your club introduces to Indoor shooting is accomplished.
    
10. Provide the draft CR3 and photos to the RI and arrange a time for them to inspect the range. The RI will utilise CR5 to check the range to their satisfaction.
     
11. The RI then assists the SRO to fill in CR3 and CR1. Once agreement is reached between the RI and SRO, the SRO is to send all forms and photographs to Police. Police will then go over the application and will let the SRO know if there are any issues that may need addressing.

Club Approvals

All Shooting Clubs have be approved by 24 Jun 2023. Sadly, there are no regulations out and this will have to be worked out early next year. TSNZ Shooting Clubs should all have a constitution. If Clubs are going to buy and sell ammunition for the benefit of the members, then they will need to become Incorporated Societies. At this time, Clubs should get their constitutions sorted but wait until early 2023 for further information.

Comment
Once it looks like the application will be accepted, the next step will be certification. Police will process and keep the application at this point. But…… The Regulations have not been finalised as of 19 October. It is expected they will be out by the end of this year. These will also include Fees for the Certification of the Range. Once published, there may be modifications to the application. Since 90% of the process has occurred it is expected these will be easily accommodated.

From the Police Website:
“Once the required content, process and fee for application are set out in regulations, and when the regulations come into force, Police will contact the Shooting Range Operator to discuss how to make a formal application. If the application is approved the Shooting Range Operator will receive a certificate for each certified range.”

It is important to note that at the time the application is forwarded to Police, all forms must accompany the application. Merely applying is not sufficient.
Failure to supply a completed application by 24 June 2023 will mean the range is not certified and shooting must cease until certification is approved.
Collectively we have some work to do. Together we can achieve it.

Range Certification Update - Steve O'Donnell - 12 October 2022
 

The new Arms Legislation requires all shooting range operators to have submitted their certification application by 23rd June 2023, or they will not be able to continue shooting on the range until the range is fully certified.

The application MUST include the Shooting Range Inspectors (SRI) report and the Range Standing Orders.

We currently have approximately ten qualified TSNZ-focussed SRI’s to cover all our ranges before June 2023.

It is URGENT that all Associations and Clubs get their ranges inspected and the application process started.

Ross Mason is a long-time TSNZ Member from Upper Hutt, and is also a member of the Police Range Certification Engagement Group.

Ross has been assisting to write the Police Range Manual and to recruit Shooting Range Inspectors,
and will be regularly updating TSNZ on the progress of the new Clubs and Ranges Certification process.