Andrew Mathieson
Historic Geelong Gun Club could be homeless for another year after bulldozers began clearing the last remnants of its Eastern Park site following the club’s final shoot on the weekend.
About 250 shooters from around Australia returned for the shoot after the club lost a seven-year battle with State Government to leave.
The club had occupied the site for more than 100 years.
Geelong Gun Club president Chris Spark said the shoot was an emotional last gathering.
“The next day we had to take all the gear out, all the traps and dissemble things, so it was a hard day.”
Mr Spark said gun club had been in discussions on several possible sites for a new home.
The shooters would now have to use the facilities of Werribee or Colac gun clubs.
“That would be just to keep our dates going and to keep the members shooting but it will be temporary for six months to a year,” Mr Spark said.
Department of Sustainability and Environment had paid the club compensation to fund a new site, he said.
Mr Spark would not reveal the size of the payout.
Demolition of the gun club site will cost taxpayers about $15,000.
State Government also plans to clean up lead shot and target debris that it blamed for environmental damage.
A Department of Sustainability and Environment spokesperson said the fate of the former gun club site was now in the hands of Geelong’s council.
“As far as a future use of the site, there are no restrictions,” the spokesperson said.
“The site is being returned to the management of the council for public open space use.”
Geelong Environment Council president Joan Lindros said she would write to the Minister for Environment and Climate Control to protest the handing of control to the City.
“My view is that DSE should not hand it back to (Geelong’s) council until it gets an iron-clad guarantee the site won’t be used for any development,” she said.
A spokesperson said the City would not comment until State Government had returned council’s responsibility for management of the site.
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