Shooting Sports Facility Program Grant

Violet Town Shooting Complex renovation tops a very special year for the ECDRA.

The East Central District Rifle Association’s annual dinner held at the Yarck Hotel on the evening of Thursday October 25th 2018 where it was announced that the Club had been awarded a $100 000 grant to upgrade the facilities at the Violet Town Shooting Complex.

Neal Hambridge on one of the shooting mounds to be widened and have access improved.

The funds will allow for the renovation of the toilets and club house to accommodate “all abilities”, improve the access / parking areas, deal with safety issues at the 600 yard mound and repair flood damage to the target pits.

The funds come from the Victorian State Government’s Round 3 of the Shooting Sports Facility grant program. President of the ECDRA  Robert Chaffe, when announcing the success of the grant, thanked the members of the Euroa Clay Target Club for their assistance in preparing the submission as the Violet Town Shooting complex is now in regular use by up to 60 persons, including those with mobility disabilities and family groups.  The existing facilities are in need for renovation to accommodate the current use.  Robert said the complex when renovated  will on a par with the very comfortable facilities at the Wangaratta Rifle range at Glenrowan.  

Now that the Shooting Complex has stable, reticulated 240 volt power available to the club house Robert said that the ECDRA will be able to make full use of all the facilities provided by the Hex Systems electronic targets including real time monitoring of all targets and scores.  The Hon John Uren MP Minister for Sport said, in a letter to the ECDRA, “I would like to congratulate East Central District Rifle Association on your successful application to Round 3 of the Shooting sports Facility Program.”  the Minister ended his letter with “Congratulations and I look forward to seeing the positive outcomes from this investment”.

The Executive of the Management Committee of the Violet Town Shooting Complex have already moved to get final quotes on the works and will meet this week to begin the process of finalizing a project plan to go before the members who use the complex for final approval before proceeding.  Mr Chaffe stressed that where ever possible local contractors and trades will be used to carry out the works ensuring that the benefit of the project is spread as far as possible in our own area.   We can honestly say that this dinner was one of the most exciting for many years as those present began to imagine the safety and comfort that the completed proposed works will provide.   Graeme Kerr, Secretary of the ECDRA, was busy in the past week preparing for the annual meeting and he confirmed that 2018 shooting year has been one of the best ever.