Who said what in the current Australian gun crime debate

 

Police Association of NSW 27 February 2013:

 

SYDNEY, Feb 27 AAP - NSW Attorney General Greg Smith says there’s a long way to go until drive-by shootings in western Sydney are brought under control.
Addressing a Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) conference in Sydney, Mr Smith said the problem of drive-by shootings was “smaller now than it was in 2001”.
However, he conceded the coalition government had not yet been able to fully combat it across western Sydney.
“It’s of great concern and we still have a long way to go in bringing it fully under control,” Mr Smith told the conference.
The comments come after a wave of shootings in the city’s west that have forced NSW police to establish Operation Apollo, a special strike force targeting gun crime.

 

The Sydney Morning Herald 7 March 2013:

 

On Sunday, Ms Gillard announced a $64 million ''national anti-gang taskforce''.
Ms Gillard said: ''When we look at the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, we see that, over the past 15 years, shootings in public places have soared.''

NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research  Media Release 6 March 2013:

 

The claim by the Prime Minister that shooting offences in public places in NSW have ‘soared’ over the last 15 years is incorrect, according to the head of the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research.

The claim was reportedly made by the Prime Minister last Sunday when announcing various measures to tackle organised crime in NSW and other States.

According to the Director of the Bureau, the total number of non-fatal shooting offences in NSW peaked at a six-month average of over 40 incidents a month in November 2001 and then began to fall.

By December last year the six-monthly average number of non-fatal shooting incidents had dropped to around 25 a month.

‘Only one type of shooting incident has increased over the last two years. The offence of ‘unlawfully discharge firearm into premises’ rose from a six-monthly average of five in February 2010 to a six-monthly average peak of about 11 a month in August 2012.’

‘In the last three months of 2012, however, the incidence of this offence dropped sharply. The six-monthly average in December last year was back down to around 6 to 7 offences a month.’

More serious offences, such as ‘shoot with intent to kill’ have remained fairly low and stable since 1997. Homicide offences involving a firearm have actually fallen across Australia.’

 

National statistics

 

http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/Lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/pages/bocsar_mr_20130306

 

NSW Statistics

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/the-merchants-of-death/story-e6frg6z6-1226564559935

Click on graphs to enlarge

 

Will Clarence Valley Council follow where Coffs Harbour City leads?

MINUTES OF COFFS HARBOUR CITY COUNCIL ORDINARY MEETING June 14, 2012:

NOM12/2 GAME AND FERAL ANIMAL CONTROL

131 RESOLVED (Graham/Knight) that:

Council note that:

1. The NSW government has a proposal on the table which would see children

as young as 12, with their parents' permission, able to hunt unsupervised on

public land in NSW.

2. This would see children able to hunt using bows and arrows, pig dogs, and

bowie knives without any adult supervision.

3. Hunting wild pigs using dogs and knives is considered, even for adults, to be dangerous for the hunter and the dogs, and an unnecessarily stressful death for the animal.

4. It is irresponsible for any government to be proposing an activity which will be

dangerous for the children involved and others who use public land for

recreational purposes.

5. While feral animal control is an important activity, it is best done professionally and as humanely as possible for the animals involved.

Council:

1. Oppose this dangerous proposal by the NSW government; and

2. Make a submission to the Department of Primary Industries voicing that

opposition.

NOM12/3 OPPOSITION TO PRIVATE SHOOTING IN NATIONAL PARKS

132 RESOLVED (Graham/Arkan) that:

Council note:

1. The NSW Government is seeking to allow private shooting in national parks

and other conservation reserves.

2. The NSW Government proposes to allow private shooting in conservation

reserves in the Coffs Harbour Local Government Area.

3. It is irresponsible for any government to be proposing an activity which will be

dangerous to members of the public and others who use conservation

reserves for recreational purposes.

4. While feral animal control is an important activity, it is only safe and effective

when undertaken professionally and as humanely as possible. This can only

be achieved through the resourcing of professional control programs

implemented by state conservation agencies.

Council:

1. Oppose this dangerous proposal by the NSW government; and

2. Write to the Premier and the Environment Minister in opposition to the

proposal to allow private shooting in conservation reserves.

ALL BUT 48 of the state's almost 800 national parks could eventually be opened up to recreational hunters, according to a Shooters and Fishers MP.
In a video posted online, Robert Borsak said hunting would ''eventually'' be declared in 751 parks.
''There are 780, 790 national parks in NSW, all of which, except about 40, will be eventually declared for hunting,'' Mr Borsak said in the interview, conducted at the government-sponsored Shot Expo for shooters and hunters.

A shooting range proposed for Yamba?

It seems Yamba's Golf and Country Club is moving to have a shooting range added to the facilities available for its members and guests.

This week's Putts & Pars (golf news and results in The Daily Examiner) included a piece contributed by the regular correspondent from YG&CC, Bill Williams.

Bill went to some length to report on the extent to which the recent deluge impacted on the club. He opened with a remark that black cockatoos were sighted in the area late on Wednesday - a portent that things were not looking good in coming days and wet weather was to be expected. And of course, the warning signs were spot on - the heavens opened up on schedule - and afternoon players in Thursday's golf competition finished with wet tails/tales.

But, Bill's report contained an even more serious piece. "The club is concerned that a number of golfers have been hit with golf balls this year. Just recently there were two incidents. The first resulted in a serious injury and the other required hospital treatment."

Bill requested (quite appropriately) all members, for their own good, to reduce accidents by not putting themselves in a position which makes them vulnerable and not hitting when players are still in range. Bill then proceeded to make further requests of players to take various steps to prevent injury to fellow players.

However, Bill's piece contained a real sting in its tail. Bill concluded, "Players not abiding by these requests will be shot."

Shot? Did I read that correctly? Hey, Bill, isn't that taking things a wee bit too far?

If the club is deadly serious and intends implementing such drastic action surely it will do the proper thing and
lodge a development application with Clarence Valley Council to have a new shooting range constructed on its grounds.