HISTORY is littered with those who collaborated with the enemy to ensure their fellow countrymen were controlled and suppressed.

The NSC has long believed one of the reasons shooters in WA have it so bad compared to other states, is because of the “enemy within”. 

In other words, those within their own shooting organisations who work against their fellow shooters for whatever reason.

We will be running a series of stories exposing just what has been going on in WA starting with WARA (West Australian Rifle Association) and its Executive Officer, Sarah Hoglin.

Papalia's 50 cal media stunt with WAPol

WA Premier Mark McGowan and Police Minister Paul Papalia with former Police Commissioner Chris Dawson with firearms, including a 50 caliber rifle.

On 22 March 2022 WA’s Nine News ran a story about the “dangerous” guns that were out there in WA and in the hands of criminals. The story featured then WAPOL Police Commissioner, the Premier Mark McGowan, and Police Minister, Paul Papalia.

At this media show, a WAPOL marksman fired a .50 Calibre rifle with nine news footage showing the fired round penetrating through multiple layers of bricks. This was the beginning of Papalia’s “war on shooters”. His message was that .50 Calibre rifles were in the hands of criminals, and this was why tough new gun laws were needed in WA!

It was subsequently revealed in the WA Parliament that WAPOL had in fact purchased the .50 Cal rifle paid for by WA taxpayers, just for the media conference and from a WA gun dealer, no less!

It was subsequently revealed in the WA Parliament that WAPOL had in fact purchased the .50 Cal rifle paid for by WA taxpayers, just for the media conference and from a WA gun dealer, no less!

The media conference was about creating fear in the community so that the public would support what Papalia and McGowan were planning for WA shooters and worse was to come.

The NSC was told, and has confirmed, that the media conference and WAPOL’s firing of their new toy took place at the WARA range at Pinjar, which is part of the Wannero shooting complex.

Depending on choice of ammunition load, windage etc: most .50 Cal rifles will easily shoot 1.5-1.8 kms and there are recorded military sniper shots from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars of .50 Cal rounds hitting targets at 2.285 kms away.

In WA range certification is done by the shooting organisations themselves.  WAPOL only physically attend to certify a range if range changes are made.  The NSC has an email from WAPOL confirming this in writing.

However, the WARA Pinjar range is NOT and never has been, certified by WARA and or approved by WAPOL as suitable for .50 Cal shooting.

The NSC understands NO civilian or military shooting is allowed at Pinjar using .50 cal rifles.

Worse still, nearby is an unmanned military airfield, RAAF base Gingin, which is used by the air force for pilot training and as an emergency landing strip.

It is also used by the Pearce Aero Club, who store members light aircraft there as well as use its landing and take-off facilities.

So what did WARA do or say about WAPOL using its range inappropriately?  Nothing, not a peep!

WARA knew what occurred but chose to stay quiet and WAPOL chose to deliberately breach the regulations and law it as the WA Firearms regulator is tasked to enforce and uphold.

WARA knocks back NSC range offer

Earlier we mentioned WARA Executive Officer, Sarah Hoglin.  The NSC can reveal that in April 2022 some enthusiastic local NSC members approached us about using a disused WARA range at Dalwallinu, which is about 3 hours from Perth.

This small band of locals were prepared to work hard and restore this neglected, run down, disused range using their own time and money if the NSC could obtain a lease on the site from WARA.

With this in mind our WA NSC Rep, Mark Heelas travelled out to Dalwallinu to meet the locals and check on its condition first hand and report back to the NSC Executive. Once we received Mark’s report we asked him to contact WARA and arrange a meeting to discuss a future for the site.

Mark met with Sarah Hoglin in person and was told that WARA wanted a formal proposal from the NSC and more detail and information on the NSC’s plans and intent for the site.

The NSC’s Vice President then attempted to contact Ms Hoglin. We tried to reach her sending emails, SMS texts and leaving voicemails on her WARA mobile phone number.

We NEVER received any response from her or anyone else at WARA. Even a polite refusal of “no thanks, not interested” would have been a common courtesy and professional behaviour.

We now understand this was all part of WARA/SSAA’s deliberate strategy to keep the NSC locked out of WA at all costs as having access to a WA range for NSC members would have allowed the NSC or our sister group HSSA (Hunters and Shooters  Society of Australia ) to apply for “genuine reason” status in WA.

Furthermore we have been told by a very reliable source in the WA Shooting community that Ms Hoglin has said “I’m not afraid of the NSC“ when she was told we would be approached for help by another WA party having their own problems with WARA.

This is just one example and the first story in the series that exposes just how badly WA shooters are being sold out by those who take their money and claim to represent their best interests. We will be revealing more soon and if you’re a WA shooter and want to fight against and stop Papalia’s War on Shooters, joining and supporting the NSC really is a “no brainer”.

Support those who support you.  All day every day.

4 thoughts on “WARA keeps WAPOL happy – and rebuffs the NSC

  1. Jethro says:

    This is all about ego stroking for former Police Commissioner, now Governer Chris Dawson and of course Papalia. They are making moves to usurp Victoria as Australia’s Police State ??‍♀️??‍♂️? The war on firearms ? and LAFO’s. The boogeyman. Ooooh watch out. And ironically the only ‘sniper’ shooting in my living memory in WA, a .243 was the likely calibre chosen and for good reason. People actually familiar with firearms would laugh at the prospect of using a 50 bmg or a 55 boys or even a 408 CheyTac or derivative as parent case or any other similar projectiles. What an absolute joke. The war on Ella Valla Station.

  2. Hugh Jwang says:

    “Furthermore we have been told by a very reliable source in the WA Shooting community that Ms Hoglin has said “I’m not afraid of the NSC“ when she was told we would be approached for help by another WA party having their own problems with WARA.”

    This here is part of the problem.
    You have ineffectual people in positions where standing by the community is the most important aspect of the job. If Ms Hoglin was doing her job for the members of WARA, collaboration with other groups supporting the same cause would be of benefit for all into the future. But, no, she chooses to regard NSC as an enemy rather than a colleague.
    This is typical club politics where morons think that /their/ club is the only one to deal with – regardless of what experiences members have – and all others are bad. This only weakens the position of those with consistent values as well as alienating those who may see that WARA is a forward-thinking club to join.

    The simple fact is that some people like SSAA or WARA or NSC and some will hate them. We all have a consistent standpoint in being that we’re all shooters – and that the all governments at all levels in this nation have gulped furiously on the Communist KoolAid in thinking that only /their/ police and /their/ security can have guns and everyone else needs to shut up and be good little peasants and go play football or tiddlywinks.

    If WARA were to actually care about their members, they would remove that fool of a representative and put someone responsible in charge. Working together is the only way clowns like Papalia can be defeated – and in-fighting ISN’T the way to do it.

  3. Distressed says:

    Out of interest were WARA approved range and safety officers on site when WAPol used the WARA range?
    WARA possibly broke their own policy and range rules by allowing non members to use the range without supervision.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *