Is it the South Coast Hunters Club (SCHC) or the Sporting Shooters Association Australia (SSAA)?

The HuntFest website advertises it as SSAA NSW HuntFest, and merely an “initiative” of SCHC. SSAA has acquired the naming rights, but what other ‘rights’ does this confer upon it?

Where do the profits from the event go? 

Donations made to any local community group receive coverage in local newspapers. But what happens to the rest?

Both the SCHC and SSAA are incorporated associations, and as such, any profits must go towards their stated “purpose” rather than members.

From its website, the SCHC “mission” (I presume ‘purpose’) is: “to further conservation hunting in rural NSW”. One could question the use of “conservation”, but I presume this means that SCHC advocates for increasing hunting areas in NSW, and promoting the “sport” of hunting to others.

The SSAA’s purpose (from its website) is “to promote shooting sports and protect firearm owners’ interests in Australia”.

I wonder if attendees of SSAA NSW HuntFest realise what their monetary support may be paying for:

- promotion and encouragement of firearm ownership and hunting in Australia;

- campaigns to increase hunting areas;

- encouragement and promotion of firearm ownership and hunting by children;

- campaigns against any restrictions on firearm ownership or use;

- SSAA employment of professional lobbyist to campaign against any proposed government restrictions (SSAA website);

- promotion of overseas safari/trophy hunting of native animals (some endangered); 

- campaigns to strengthen gun lobby ambitions in Australia.

To advertise HuntFest as evolving into “a complete outdoor show” is downright deceitful. Its “primary focus is hunting” (Dan Field, Narooma News April 19) and yet no information regarding gun and weapon dealers, safari hunting promotions, hunting paraphernalia, gun and archery simulators, butchery and so on are advertised in local media.

Responsibility for HuntFest’s mutation into an arms Fair/weapon promotion/hunting expo/SSAA event, lies solely with Eurobodalla Shire Council.

Its numerous amendment approvals disregarded local community opposition and have brought council procedures into question.

Even the three re-elected councillors must realise their folly, if not naivety, in approving the amendments by now.

So who now has control of the event – the local SCHC or the NSW SSAA? And whose ideologies/purposes are Huntfest attendees supporting? 

On behalf of the Pambula-Merimbula Country Women’s Association I want to register our support for building the proposed new theatre at Twyford Hall in Merimbula. We are keen to see it built sooner, rather than later.

The Twyford Theatre project has been talked about for many years and throughout it has received enthusiastic local support.

This is due in large part to the management of the current facility by local volunteers from the arts community and user groups.

We understand the current plans have taken a while to get to where they are now because the current Twyford Hall committee has worked carefully to get it right.

We understand a petition urging council to support the theatre project is being organised.

We will be encouraging our members to sign.