stihl88 wrote:So now that we've pretty much covered "Public Roads" is there any final determination on minimum land size someone can hunt or "sight" in their firearms? I've seen several threads on the topic but nothing definitive in my eyes and the Regs/Acts seem devoid of any definition on this topic.
So a good place to start would be, what's to stop my uncle from sighting in an air rifle on his suburban block?
There is no minimum land size in any state. It has to be safe to shoot there. Remember, in Australia it has to be safe for the user as well. Discharging any firearm, including air-rifles or paintball, in a suburban block, without additional permits, _may_ be able to be done safely, but is it really worth finding out in court? Some states might allow it, but I'm not aware of any. Most require "rural" land. To shoot in built-up areas generally requires permits for pest control or reenactment and other such things, or range licences. There are also external factors that might affect whether it is allowed, like excessive noise, or if there's a school down the street, or a party of nuns having a corroboree in the park. If any member of the public calls Police and says they are fearful of your activity then you can expect a visit, that may be fine, or it may not.
Some people have bought an empty block near a friend, and they come out on weekends and shoot from dawn until dark. He's pretty laid back, they're not doing any actual harm and he's happy to let them live their best lives. But his neighbour is an old lady who has just lost her husband, and she is finding it upsetting. So he asked me to find out the regs around it and perhaps we can get the DFO to go and have a word with them. Maybe get better organised so they're shooting in blocks of an hour or two then having a break. What they're doing is legal, no qualms about that. But if there are more than five people shooting, which he's not sure about as he hasn't visited, then they need to abide by the additional regs regarding target shooting.
They can't shoot within 250m of any dwelling without permission - this looks like it might be an issue for them, but only if there are more than five shooters.
They can't shoot within 100m of a road - they're probably okay here, but I'd have to go out for a look to be sure, there are a bunch of roads coming together there.
Shooters must be stationary
It must be during daylight
Shooters must not consume alcohol or drugs (not consume, regardless of how much)
The shoot must not be advertised
Shooters must not be paying any consideration to the property owner
And, Police must be notified 48hrs prior to the event - this one is unlikely so we need to find out how many shooters there are, and the simplest/safest way to do so is to ask the DFO to visit.