Further Information on Auckland Shooting Club’s application to the Auckland Council.

The Grapevine received the following documents today relating to the proposed auckland shooting club site and activities at 273 Tuhirangi Road.

The details contained within these are very different from the public information released on the shooting club’s website. You should all treat the shooting club’s website as a PR / Advertising mechanism to generate interest for potential members, it does not accurately reflect their approved scope of operations at this point in time.

Please have a detailed read for yourselves, below I have provided my own summary of what I believe are some of the key points from these documents:

  1. These appear to be council approvals to develop and operate. – This would, I believe, imply that there was no intention to perform a publicly notified consent process.
  2. The scope of operations is different from that outlined on the website, in particular:
    • (Only) two outdoor pistol ranges have been approved, one to the West and one to the East of the site.
    • The Eastern range is limited in it’s operations, and excludes Sundays.
    • Both ranges are limited in their hours of operations, allowing for (only) 8 hours of operation per day, between 6am and 6pm.
    • The site is normally expected to support (only) 30 people during normal operations.
    • At no more than 3 seperate occasions per year is it permitted for a ‘carnival’ type of event (competition) to be held, at which, no more than 200 people, including 120-150 competitors would be in attendance.
    • There is no mention of rifle shooting, there is no mention of shotgun facilities.
  3. There are specified and enforceable noise restrictions and limitations (dB limits), listed in these documents.
  4. There are specified and potentially measurable limits on the amount of earth works to be performed.
  5. There are noted building structures included within this consent, i.e.: it would not be permitted for any further development to ‘just happen’, without the council being required to provide further permission.

Have a read for yourselves, mine is a quick summary and does not include all of the information which you might need if you intend to get involved in this to any proper level.

The club’s website did say that their plans were going to be phased; I read their plans as solid indications of their intentions for their further development. I do not believe that they have misrepresented anything to the council, the council have issued these consents based, I’m sure, on what was presented to them; which was unlikely to be an outline of their longer term development plans.

I am told that the council is now considering this application, given the public reaction.

If there are proper, well reasoned objections then I would recommend you put them in writing and lodge them with the council.

I have received appropriate contact details from the council for such lodgement. – In the first instance email [email protected] and I will pass those details on to you. – We would also appreciate a copy of such correspondence if you are willing to share it.

Thanks, Chris.
Ahuroa Grapevine Administrator.