SSAA Victoria has welcomed the Victorian Government’s decision to invest $2.5 million to seal Gifkins Road at Little River, improving access to the state’s most important firearms training and recreational shooting facility.
The project, which will be delivered by the City of Greater Geelong, will improve access to SSAA Victoria’s Eagle Park Range, which attracts more than 30,000 recreational visits annually and operates as Victoria’s leading centre for firearms education, training and industry testing.
Eagle Park operates four days a week for recreational users and seven days a week for a broad range of training activities involving recreational, occupational and government users, as well as product development and testing for the firearms industry.
SSAA Victoria CEO Jack Wegman said the investment recognised the importance of the facility to Victoria’s broader shooting, training and outdoor recreation sectors.
“Eagle Park is the most important firearms training and recreational shooting facility in Victoria,” Mr Wegman said.
“It supports recreational shooters from across the state, provides critical training infrastructure and plays an important role supporting industry and government users.”
“This investment will significantly improve safety, access and reliability for the thousands of people who use the facility every year and reflects the importance of supporting the continued growth of safe, responsible and properly trained firearms use in Victoria.”
Mr Wegman said SSAA Victoria had been working on the issue for several years and thanked the Victorian Government for recognising the importance of the project.
SSAA Victoria also thanked Ella George MP, Labor Member for Lara, for her engagement and interest in the facility and broader firearms training opportunities in the region and the Treasurer Jaclyn Symes and Premier Jacinta Allan for backing in this important project.
The Association also acknowledged the support and advocacy of Jeff Bourman MP, Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party Member for Eastern Victoria, who strongly advocated to the Treasurer for the funding allocation.
A recent site visit to Eagle Park and Gifkins Road included Ella George MP, Jeff Bourman MP and SSAA Victoria CEO Jack Wegman inspecting the condition of the road and discussing the importance of the facility to recreational shooting, training and regional visitation.
The upgrade will provide safer and more reliable access to Eagle Park for the thousands of recreational shooters, trainees, instructors, government users and industry representatives who rely on the facility each year.
