State’s order to shire: blast out Winch clubs

Hamish Heard
WINCHELSEA’S gun and go kart clubs are set to become the second and third victims of a State Government purge of sport facilities in the region.
The clubs’ members were furious after learning Department of Sustainability and Environment had secretly ordered Surf Coast Shire to evict them from their Winchelsea Common headquarters.
The plans were revealed in a confidential letter leaked to the Independent this week.
In the letter, DSE public land use and development manager Craig Whiteford said council “must” advise Winchelsea Gun Club to “cease its activities immediately”.
Mr Whiteford’s letter also ordered council to evict Winchelsea Fun-Kart Club when its lease expired next month.
But Mr Whiteford denied State Government was behind the purge when contacted by the Independent.
He blamed the shire for the pending evictions and would not comment when asked why the government wanted the clubs removed from the site.
“Surf Coast Shire is the leader on this, so you will have to gain comment from them,” he said.
The eviction notice followed the Government stripping Geelong Gun Club of its Limeburner’s Point clay target shooting range last year.
The department was forced to evict the club after Geelong’s council voted to reject a secret request to give the 100-year-old club its marching orders.
Winchelsea councillor Lindsay Schroeter said he suspected State Government had set its sights on removing access to public land for all the region’s gun clubs.
“I have a feeling that State Government has an agenda to drive gun clubs out of the region,” he said.
“It’s not particularly fair on communities like Winchelsea where (the club) contributes so much to local charities and the economy.”
Winchelsea Gun Club president Bob Brown said the 50-year-old club’s 200 members were disappointed they had not been involved in talks between DSE and council on the club’s future.
“We pretty devastated that it looks like these decisions have been made and we’ve been left out of the loop,” Mr Brown said.