May 8th, 2022Shooting at Glenlyon

THE Daylesford Field & Game Club can finally return to its home at the Glenlyon Reserve after three years now a final report has found the risk of soil contamination is “low and acceptable”.

The news comes three years after concerns were raised over potential lead contamination, possibly caused by clay target shooting, and an initial assessment found elevated levels of lead and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the reserve.
The Daylesford Field & Game Club, which has operated out of Glenlyon for 43 years, was told to stop using the reserve at the start of 2020.
However a final report presented to Hepburn Shire Council this year has found “the extent and severity of soil contamination is less than indicated in the preliminary assessment” and “no further risk assessment, remedial actions or further management controls are required for the site based on its use as a recreational reserve”.
The total costs, for the council, of the work needed for the reports and works to date is $275,535.
Club secretary Colin Johns, pictured, said once a few fences were repaired, club members were looking forward to their first shoot in a couple of months.
“I have had a lot of calls over the past few days from members who are fairly keen to get back into it but we also have to do a bit of rebuilding of the club. It’s been three years and some people were almost ready to give it away, but they are pretty keen to get back now.”
Mr Johns, who has competed at state, Australian and international levels, said the majority of people living around Glenlyon had been very supportive. “I think we are actually more welcome than we had thought.”
Mr Johns said the club would love new members and had already been talking to new Glenlyon residents who were shooters and “dead keen” to get going.
Anyone interested in joining the club can contact Mr Johns on 0427 530 559 or vice president Jody Wallace on 0417 592 952.