Thread: Shooting rules for near a public road

Originally Posted by Jexla

Yeah, doesn't work like that, there is no distance you have to be, or distance you can use to make sure you're safe.

The law goes as follows (This is a direct copy and paste from the Arms act and is not personal perception, but legislation):

Discharging firearm, airgun, pistol, or restricted weapon in or near dwellinghouse or public place
Every person commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or to a fine not exceeding $3,000 or to both who, without reasonable cause, discharges a firearm, airgun, pistol, or restricted weapon in or near—
(a)a dwellinghouse; or
(b)a public place,—
so as to endanger property or to endanger, annoy, or frighten any person.



Police don't see sport shooting as a reasonable cause either....

Hopefully it's a matter of interpretation, near is vague but endanger property etc, I think has been in a couple of cases has been interpreted as deliberately intending to damage, annoy or frighten. Get on the good side of your local cop, discuss what they think of occasional target shooting in a controlled environment and go from there.
I sometimes shoot magpies off the verandah, in the trees behind the house. The family only complain if it's the shotty, and before 6.30am