A WANGARATTA gun club has gone into debt and is lobbying to retain its members as a lead contamination issue enters its seventh month.
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Wangaratta Clay Target Club will contribute $45,000 towards the costs of environmental management of North Wangaratta Recreation Reserve.
Vice-president Brian Reid said the club had to borrow much of this sum and was talking with Environment Protection Authority Victoria and other bodies about future finance.
“We’re a legitimate sport and I’m hopeful that any gaps will be made up by state government or others,” he said.
With the shooting range out of action, the club thinks it could lose some of its 110 members next year.
“I’ve written to every member we have and pleaded with them to stay with us, because we’re confident we will shoot again, we’re just not sure when,” Mr Reid said.
The recreation reserve was closed in May after lead was detected in soil samples and groundwater, impacting both the gun club and North Wangaratta Football and Netball Club.
Mr Reid said the clay target club accepted its skeet shooting had caused lead to fall on the football oval, but this discipline had continued since 1963 without raising concerns until now.
“There was nothing underhand or malicious going on,” he said. “No authority had ever said you can’t do it. We’ve decided as a committee that no lead will ever leave our premises again.”
EPA North East manager Emma Knights said the investigation was ongoing, with a report due by December 30 to detail the extent of any lead contamination.
Club rooms have been allowed to reopen, but a community forum last month heard concerns about the length of time taken to resolve the issue.
North Wangaratta president Nate Bartlett said his club felt frustrated about the way the closure was handled.
“We were training the night before, we come the next morning and our grounds are all shut up and locked up,” he said.
- Editorial: P13