The Coffs Harbour Pistol Club has re-opened its doors after a three-year break, thanks in large part to donated timber from Forestry Corporation of NSW and Boral.

The club closed in late 2015 as the facilities needed extensive upgrades to maintain a safe shooting environment.

However, thanks to the Community Timber Partnerships program, club members were able to rebuild essential infrastructure needed to re-open the range, said President Samuel Hui.

“The sudden closure of the club in 2015 had an enormous impact on our 60-odd members, and the upgrades needed were well beyond the means of our small club,” Mr Hui said.

“After three years of struggling to re-build the range, we’ve now returned the facilities to an acceptable safety level and the club was approved by the Firearms registry to re-open.

“These upgrades required extensive work by members and expensive raw materials; Forestry Corporation gave us a valuable helping hand by donating timber to upgrade partition walls on the ranges.

“These walls were a major part of the safety upgrade.”

Forestry Corporation’s Partnership Coordinator, Ryan Ellis, congratulated the club for their achievements.

“We’re excited to have played a part in rebuilding the Coffs Harbour Pistol Club for the community to use and enjoy for decades to come,” Mr Ellis said.

“This is a great example of what a dedicated community group can achieve and congratulations to the club for their perseverance.”

The Community Timber Partnership was formed by Forestry Corporation of NSW, Boral Timber and Planet Ark to salvage around 1,000 cubic metres of flooring and decking products impacted by the Murwillumbah floods in 2017.

“When we heard about such a large volume of timber being written off, in some cases for damage as minor as water staining in some instances, we were determined to salvage it for local community projects,” Mr Ellis said.

“We’re working with a range of community groups to give the timber a new lease of life and create renewable, durable, beautiful timber facilities for many more local communities to enjoy.”

The Community Timber Partnerships Project is endorsed by Planet Ark, under their Make it Wood program.

Media contact: Rod Campbell 0428058549