Stuff article as seen below;

A Wairarapa gun club has had enough of police pushing for more restrictive gun laws and have fired back.

The Wairarapa Pistol and Shooting Sports Club has banned police from using their range as a training facility – effective immediately.

The Carterton-based club has one of the best shooting ranges in the lower North Island, which police regularly use for various types of weapons practice.

SIMON MAUDE / FAIRFAX NZ Hand gun ownership requires a special licence in New Zealand.

Club president Gary Rawlinson said members had become increasingly frustrated with the police and the Police Association’s attitude shown towards responsible firearms owners and legitimate shooting sports.

New Zealand Police and the Police Association have been approached for comment.

Rawlinson said: “We don’t want to be seen to be supporting groups that could possibly destroy our chosen sport. Despite the existence of a Firearms Community Advisory Forum, the police continue to arbitrarily adopt changes to the administration of the Arms Acts without consultation.”

The club’s members are law-abiding citizens who are sick of being demonised, scape-goated and targeted in the firearms legislation debate, Rawlinson said.

He cited recent examples of changes to firearms measurement, certification of gun safes and what he describes as “wholesale and unreasonable” changes to the licensing of gun dealers as evidence of the ever-moving goal posts that they are forced to comply with.

“That the police neither seek advice, consult with that forum or advise them of decisions made, is extremely disappointing to our members.”

“It should be of great concern to both politicians and the police commissioner that our decision to end all police use of the Wairarapa PSSC facility gained unanimous support and has been applauded by many other shooting clubs.”

The club’s ban will not be reviewed until “a distinct change in attitude, policy and provision is evident”.

Rawlinson said gun law reform often targets licensed firearms users but does not tackle the real problem- unlicensed criminals. He said the club’s ban aims to draw attention to their dissatisfaction with the present situation.

​”We’re not trying to be vindictive or nasty. We’re just annoyed that we are constantly looking over our shoulder because of the way they [police] do things.”