Lead levels tested

The High Court has ordered the newly-opened Auckland Shooting Club in Makarau to produce a contaminants report. This follows concerns raised over the potential level of lead on the site from discharged ammunition.

The Vipassana Meditation Centre, which is located within two kilometres of the shooting club, challenged the granting of the Code of Compliance (CoC) by Auckland Council that allowed the range to be built. The judge upheld the CoC, but required the club to produce a report on potential lead contamination on the property. Once the results are known, Council will make a decision on whether or not resource consent is required for operation.

Club president Chris Gee is confident that this process will have no effect on the club.

“We have done contaminants level testing already on site and the results are within the legal limits,” Chris says. “We have catchers in place behind the targets so most bullets don’t reach the ground anyway and those that do, we clean up.”

Neighbour and Keep the Peace in Makarau Valley committee member, Stu Finch, is concerned about the potential accuracy of the report.

“It would be very easy to manipulate the outcome of that report,” Stu says. “There is a stream that runs close to the range that connects to a household water source so it’s a real concern.”

Stu is also concerned about the noise levels produced by gunfire. “Legally the noise level is acceptable, but it’s intrusive and I disagree with the method of measurement that takes an average noise level rather than a peak level. It’s misleading because Makarau Valley is almost silent, which brings the average down.”

Chris says he is comfortable with the operating noise levels as they are below the legal limit for the area and the club will make sure noise remains below the limit regardless of growth.