Gel Blaster Association of Australia in Gold Coast, Queensland | Lobbyist

Gel Blaster Association of Australia

Locality: Gold Coast, Queensland

Address: upper coomera 4210 Gold Coast, QLD, Australia

Website: https://www.gbaa.com.au/

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25.01.2022 Are you wanting something different? Check out the new Gel Blasters avalible to Tactical Edge.

25.01.2022 Hi Guys, Thanks again to everyone that showed up to protest on the weekend, particularly a huge thank you to the guys who have been tirelessly organising behind the scenes. Quick update on the GoFundMe also we have just ticked over the $15K mark. At this stage we still have a couple of other avenues to cut this off at the pass, however the war chest is steadily building to fight this in the courts should we need to.... Keep up the great work!!! Regards Chris https://www.gofundme.com/f/gel-blaster-industry-class-actio

25.01.2022 Hi All, Today was a fairly significant day in getting some answers around what proposed changes to regulation for Gel Blasters will actually potentially look like. The answers we got to show the way forward to having a sustainable industry, more significantly a broader community and eventually a legitimate sport. Finally we have a clear path, that we can see and understand and continue to walk down.... We would like to thank everyone that has been a part of this journey and showed your support, as we legitimately feel that the sheer weight of support from all of you here made sure that out voice was heard loud and clear. There is still more work to do with ensuring the integrity of what has been presented is retained, however it shows that the correct path is being taken. Heres our take on the proposed changes, we have attached a copy off the QPS presentation on our website. https://www.gbaa.com.au/news_articles/qps-meeting-2-3-2019/

25.01.2022 Hi All, Please find the below petition requesting no update to the regulation of Gel Blasters in QLD, please make your stance clear, lets keep the word TOY. https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au//petit/petition-details

25.01.2022 Hi All, Apologies we have been a little bit quiet in recent weeks. Thought it was a good idea to give a bit of a broader update and after having a chat with some of our South Australian industry representatives, as well as Stephen Howard from SAPOL last week. To cut to the chase, I feel as though the industry and sport, is about to be blindsided as the powers that be work in the background to eliminate Gel blasters from the landscape in SA. At the very least they are looking ...to put them on a firearms licence. So as a result for some marketing we have planned, we are compiling a list of businesses related to the sport, the town they operate in, the amount of employees that they support as well as the secondary businesses that are supported by the industry. If you can include this information and how many people go to your field etc below in the comments we would like to show the support the industry has to government. Thanks in advance for any support Regards Chris See more

24.01.2022 READ THIS! So here we have 50 plus Businesses shut down overnight with over 350 people losing their livelihood, a $50mil industry wiped out overnight, and the appointed registrar that has wiped out the industry, has just collected a $50k increase in salary plus 3% super for his efforts. Yeah guys... nothing to see here. You honestly couldn't make this up

23.01.2022 So guys, if you have been waiting for answers on where we are at, have a listen to Pete our president explain it to SAPOL. Huge thanks to Nathan Kirby for recording it. And the link to the go fund me campaign is pinned to the top of our page. If you want to support the sport get involved. Chris https://www.gofundme.com/f/gel-blaster-industry-class-actio

23.01.2022 Heres a video that one of our South Australian Members has shared on youtube. If you are on this page, you obviously share our passion for Gel Blasters and if you are based in South Australia you need to watch this. If you have any contacts in Government or even in opposition please email us on [email protected] https://youtu.be/_LnNRhoJALE

23.01.2022 Before you see the FULL STORY.. see whats hapening right now, Please watch.

23.01.2022 Hi All, A quick update, papers have been served on SAPOL and a preliminary hearing date has been set for 10am on the 11th of December. Lets get this show on the road and remind SAPOL and the ministers supporting this who they work for, the tax payer.... Time for the bureaucrats to focus on real issues they are employed by us to do and stop them working outside of the laws they are there to enforce. If you would like to contribute to the cause please find the attached Gofundme below. Regards Chris gf.me/u/y3yr53

22.01.2022 Hi All, Apologies we have been a little bit quiet on here the last few weeks. There has been a lot happening behind the scenes, particularly within SA, with once again, police demonstrating that they are out of touch with actual legislation and regulation by making up the rules as they go along. Thanks again to Peter Clark from Tactical Edge Hobbies, our President, for providing the industry support and professional consultation as always behind the scenes, as well as our riv...al associations and SA based retailers. Unfortunately the regulatory misinformation is also being passed along to politicians that are clearly more interested in protecting their position than understanding an emerging market segment and actually helping the SA small business owners that this is impacting. As always, the message we want them to understand is that it is impossible to successfully regulate any industry in a sustainable matter without consulting the small business owners, the players and key stakeholders such as us, that know this industry better than anyone. So really lets use this as a gentle reminder to regulate ineffective government and public servants, hold your local members accountable and keep count of the issues that matter to you and what they support, because thats our opportunity to effect change. To the politicians and police following this page, we offer an open conversation any time you want. Regards Chris Sinclair Treasurer

22.01.2022 Share it far and wide.

21.01.2022 I don’t know how many different ways I can say this or why it seems people are not accepting what is going on. The police in SA are not going to accomodate any of your needs, they are not going to work with you, they are not going to show you any respect, they don’t care one little bit about what you want and how you think gel blasters should be treated. They have Illegally (in our strong well backed up opinion) declared gel blasters a firearm in October last year. They ha...ve lied, they have shifted the goal posts, they hey have done everything they can to sabotage the court case, the have NOT consulted the public or the stake holders, and they have tried to smash through a regulation change so that if they lose in court, it doesn’t matter. I will take care of the court case, I will fight as hard as possible, I will bare most of the financial brunt of it. I need you guys to find a politician to oppose this change in regulations in parliament. It will have to be heard on the floor of parliament at some point. We need it to be opposed. That is step one, next step, get as many sitting MP’s on the side of gel blasters as possible. This is the only way from here. If you guys are not willing to band together and get organised then the fight has been lost. Regards Peter Clark

21.01.2022 Please make sure you go to the 9 news Adelaide page and let them know what you think

21.01.2022 Hi all, My sincere apologies for the time beteween posts and for the length of the post Im about to make. For those unaware 2 days ago GBAA and the other Gel Blaster associations met with Police Minister Mark Ryan in response to current consultation surrounding proposed revisions of the legal status of gel blasters in Queensland. I have attached the below statement from the ministers office which at first glance looks rather innocuous....Continue reading

20.01.2022 Hi All, I wanted to share an update on where things are at. In case you weren't aware, last week we received the attached letter from SAPOL's Legal team. As it stands, since the Liberal government changed the regulation in line with SAPOL's stance of looking to mass entrap the public on firearms charges, it made our court case null and void.... The most upsetting part of this, had Tarzia and Marshall not allowed this, we would have won in court, very little debate, the end. We had been in discussion with the NSW ballistician (remember SAPOL's one wasn't willing to turn upon in court) that only disagreed with the interpretation of compressed air, which as we all know was a push over. So, ironically the same argument that SAPOL were standing by, is also the one that ensnares NERF blasters as they use the same Spring and plunger system to 'displace air'. With the registration of a NERF blaster as well as some of of the more novel design's (you know what I am talking about), we are now staring at a system looking to register toys according to the new regulations. So the Liberal government have endorsed SAPOL to do the following. - Shut Down an industry overnight contributing around $50mil to the SA Economy. - put 50 businesses out of business - 350 people out of a job and some back into unemployment - Taken away the favourite past time of families, some with children that had never shown any interest in activity outside of video games, particularly those on the Autism spectrum - taken away a sport that allows returned soldiers suffering PTSD to get back out in the community and have fun again - Waste tax payer resources on footing the legal bill - Waste the countless hours of needless administration Whats more terrifying is the following- - They have allowed them to get away without consulting the businesses that it impacted. - Allowed them to avoid a court room testing the legality of what they did and how they did it. - enabled SAPOL to not communicate to the broader community that they are now firearms owners - Ensnared all 200,000 gel blaster owners under the firearms act for owning an illegal firearm Now imagine a firearms charge on you probity check when you or one of your children go for a job because you were playing with a Gel blaster in your barkyard and the Police turn up without a warrant. Now remember in all of this, we have a thriving industry in QLD, supported by both the police and the politicians, after consultation with the industry, a bench mark that isn't set in SA. If you think that is is an appalling way for those 'public servants' acting with 'honesty and integrity' to be operating, please feel free to sign the below petition. I'd love for one of the public servants to actually face what they have done to the business owners in this, and for them to lose their seat at the tax payer funded trough. I've had a enough, I hope you have too. Regards Chris http://chng.it/cTY9nhRw5H

20.01.2022 In light of all of the intense discussion that has ensued since last weeks Statement from the Police Minister, I want to share one of the reasons we support the sport and why its so important that accessibility of Gel Blasters to the community remain. Heres a video from one of our very own GBAA members up in Townsville. Thanks for sending through Tegan!

20.01.2022 And the police entrapment begins, less than 18 months after saying they were a toy... https://www.magic899.com.au//104940-port-lincoln-gel-blast

19.01.2022 ATTENTION South Australians, If you want to help us and join in the fight to win your Gel Blasters back, but are not sure where to start here are a few things you can do. You can copy and paste the Email down below and fill in your details and store where the red writing is and send it to the Minister of Police (Vincent Tarzia) [email protected] To the Honourable I am writing this email to ask you to oppose the proposed regulation of Gel blasters by the police ...in South Australia. The Gel Blaster Community has lodged supreme court action against SAPOL to reverse the decision when they declared Gel blasters a firearm in October 2020. This resulted in the closure of multiple businesses and the loss of many jobs in SA. Myself, my family and my friends all benefit from gel blasters! INSERT PERSONAL STORY I would like the South Australian Police and government to take a more sensible approach similar to QLD where gel blaster incidents are not an issue. The Queensland police and the Police minister worked with the community to come to a regulatory solution that suited Government, Police, Business and the Community. The police came up with a stop and Think Campaign and the community and retailers worked tirelessly to educate the public. This is the sign of a good government and good policy. I hope that the South Australian Government can also be as progressive and mindful of the community as the Queensland government. The current stance on gel blasters is archaic and regressive. It would make sense as a member of parliament to assist the Gel blaster community as there are very few votes to be gained by supporting the possible new regulations, but thousands to be gained by opposing them. Myself, my family and my friends will be supporting the politician that supports us come to the election in March 2022. Can I please have an email back giving me an answer of what your intentions are when it comes to this issue being brought up in parliament? Will you support the regulations or oppose them? Thank you for your time. Regards INSERT NAME Or Click the link down below and help us on the go fund me page. https://gofund.me/1b5d7ca1

18.01.2022 Hey All, Sorry its been a while since my last post, there has been plenty happening behind the scenes with what we are trying to achieve for you all. I know that if you are following this page theres a very strong chance that you are already using common sense and not doing any of the things that Matt and Gilly have outlined in this video. That said there is also a strong chance that you know someone that takes a more liberal approach to their Gel Blaster. If they do, an...d you dont know how to bring it up, heres a simple video to show them, to help have the conversation. From all of the discussions that we are having with Queensland Police and other government departments the key message is that Gel Blaster incidents simply need to stop in order to protect our sport.

18.01.2022 Want to get a better understanding of the Gel Blaster regulations in SA, and what the Steven Marshal led liberal government and Sapol have potentially done to you and your family with these regulations, please watch the following. https://www.facebook.com/Ausgel/videos/837554980167668/

18.01.2022 Hi guys, the project is airing a story on gel blasters tonight. From all conversations Ive had leading into it its been a much more positive viewpoint than some of channel 10s competition. Let us know what you think after it goes to air.

18.01.2022 Hi All, For those wanting a better understanding of why ourselves and the other associations have come to the conclusions we have around the proposed unnecessary legislative changes regarding Gel Blasters, this video will hopefully explain our understanding in a brief format. Peter Clark, our president, also explains briefly his experience, including the court case he won against the ABF back in 2017. Later in the week we will release a video of the full story so far includin...g his court case, as well covering off on the documentation that has recently come to light. The document in the link below outlines some of the conversations that Mark Ryan has had around Gel Blasters since 2018. For the initiated you will see the tone of communications has reflected a change in tact from simply trying to steam roll the industry 2 years ago, to now removing the word toy from legislation, which has a very significant effect on the state go Gel Blasters in QLD. If you are after more information, wait for the video later in the week which will include timelines, names and further details. https://www.police.qld.gov.au//20/RTI%2025590%20FINAL.pdf

18.01.2022 I feel like everything we have been posting lately has been so serious, so lets have some fun. Who is heading out to a field this weekend and having a game, drop us picture of your game day kit or your blaster in the comments.

17.01.2022 To all of the Gel Blaster enthusiasts outside of Brisbane- Gold Coast area, heres some shots of the last game at Gelsoft Australia for the year at Tamborine. We will be sharing some more images and footage of our members and the fun they are having in the upcoming weeks. If you havent signed up yet as a member yet, please jump onto the below link and register for only $20. Remember the more members we have across the associations (not just this one), the stronger supporte...r base we have for our sport. https://www.gbaa.com.au/registration-p/member-registration/

17.01.2022 Hi All, Apologies as always for the length of this post but we have been receiving quite a few enquires about Mark Ryans response to the petition regarding Gel Blasters. So I would like to share what our views are around this. Firstly, the letter is a direct reply to people that signed the petition, so everyone will get the same reply. Secondly, the petition forced the proposed changes to be bought into parliament for actual discussion instead of the industry being simply ...Continue reading

17.01.2022 Hi All, So, if we, as a member of the tax paying public, elect a person to office to represent the community, what do we expect? Honesty? Integrity? ... To take on board all opinions and make a thoughtful judgement? Actually consult with the people whose life that any decision they make may impact? To let the legal system do it's job and to run it's course? If the police are there to uphold the law, how do we hold them accountable when they don't? Last week, we received information pertaining to the update of regulations to the firearms act, the very act we were looking to test in court, as we believed SAPOL's actions to classify Gel blasters as firearms was incorrect and not legally valid. We knew we were going to win in the courtroom, and so did they. For a multitude of reasons we still believe that SAPOL had no valid reason to make this classification, the most glaring, the actual firearms act, let alone all of the lies they have spread about gel blasters less than 12 months after they said they were a toy. So just like that 50 businesses are shut down overnight and over 350 people lose their job. So we take them to court to actually let the legal system run it's course, great outcome you would expect, but with the assistance of the Marshall Liberal Government the update of regulations means we can no longer test the legislation as the courts won't allow it. SO lets get this straight the police and the government have lied, made up the rules, lied about it again and then changed the rules to cover their lies, to do nothing short of pervert the course of the very legal system that upholds the integrity of Australian society. They have made NO attempt to let the general members of the public, the same 200,000 plus toy owners that they have just entrapped under the firearms act that they now face potential firearms charges. This is now more than just about toy guns, if you want the legal system, the same one that is set up to protect a democratic Australian society from a dictatorship, as well from those with more nefarious intentions, please do this... Contact your local MP, contact you local media outlet, contact any person that can create pressure for what is nothing more than coordinated attack on democracy and our legal system by the very people meant to protect it. I'm appalled, and if you aren't appalled by this you are likely part of the problem. Chris

16.01.2022 Hi All, So the state of play currently sits as this for SA. For the changes to have gone through it should have been passed via cabinet. This means that current sitting MP’s gave this the green light. So what we need each and every one of you to contact your local MP and opposition in your seat and tell them that you will be voting with however takes a stance for common sense on this matter. Let them know that we will still be going ahead with court proceedings and that it w...ill be a complete waste of tax payer dollars. Ask also why would they defend the position of someone that has either not done due diligence a year ago when discussing ‘toys’ and suddenly has a case of selective amnesia when asked about it. Let’s be clear the products have not changed significantly in the last two years. So everyone keep contacting your local members also the go fund me is currently sitting at $13,000 so keep up the great work! See more

16.01.2022 Hi All, Just a quick update on where things are at with SA. Affidavit has been completed and funds are being transferred tomorrow to the legal team to kick this off. This is going to take about 3 months, this doesn't help the 50 plus businesses and 350 plus staff that have lost their livelihood, but it will definitely hold the bureaucrats accountable. I'm not sure about everyone else but I'm pretty excited to remind these career politicians and public servants that they work... for the community and a democratic society. If you want to donate to the cause further, please find the gofundme link below. Regards Chris https://gf.me/u/y3yr5a

16.01.2022 Hi All, Here's another letter that one of our members has prepared for Mr Tarzia in light of recent events which systematically discusses each point raised by SAPOL and the government on this matter. Just remember that now is the time to keep pushing, court will be one part of the puzzle in this battle, we need to keep applying pressure, To the Hon Minister Tarzia...Continue reading

16.01.2022 Earlier 7news posted a story about a gel blaster being used in the hold up of a convenience store in Townsville. Let me be clear, we absolutely want to educate the broader community around gel blasters in a positive manner and we 100% support tougher penalties be enforced for those that offend and threaten the public safety with them. As the interviewee suggests, its not an issue with Gel Blasters, its an issue with the system and the parents, next week it could be anything... its just the tool that has changed. Whats concerning is that in that other video, they wheeled out the press conference, effectively for some kids (13-17 years old) doing something incredibly silly that hopefully shouldnt jeopardise their future as adults, but sadly chances are they will do something again with a new tool. Does anyone else here think that if it was a large knife this would be getting the same airplay or even make the news? Especially given that in QLD alone there were 24,687 knife incidents reported to police 2018/19 financial year, vs under 300 Gel blaster incidents for all of 2019. What it doesnt address at all, is that while we have been actively working on protecting the use of toys in QLD, the system hasnt changed and neither has the accountability of government, the court system or the responsible adults around these kids. We know the QPS are doing the best they can under trying circumstances. So what is the point of the press conference and what else is being done to address these societal issues? Ill post the other video in the comments.

16.01.2022 Hi All, As you know we have a significant list of 'inconsistencies' relating to the misinformation that SAPOL are providing around their decision to regulate Gel Blasters. This obviously includes blatant mistruths around the products themselves, as well as, how they have 'consulted' with industry, through to the blatant misuse of "upper management" police powers to actually attempt to implement what they are trying. So let's make it very clear as a sport, as an industry and ...Continue reading

15.01.2022 Everyone Please Watch And Support The Cause.

15.01.2022 Hi Guys, You saw the other day a brief story on why the word Toy is so important in the regulation of gel blasters, watch the below to see Peters story from the start, and you will get a much better understanding of why we have so little faith in legislators. To have your say and to keep the word TOY in legislation, follow the link below. https://www.getinvolved.qld.gov.au//7300/s/7000/view.html... If you would like to support our association https://www.gbaa.com.au/registration-p/member-registration/ Heres the supporting to the freedom of information document. https://www.police.qld.gov.au//20/RTI%2025590%20FINAL.pdf There will be more videos to follow in the coming weeks, if you would like to hear any further information about any topics, please drop a comment.

15.01.2022 Hey guys, So the Project story finally aired after a false start, and Im pretty pleased to say it was a positive story as suspected.

14.01.2022 So did the Easter bunny bring anyone any Gel Blaster shaped eggs this year?

14.01.2022 Hi guys, I hope you had a great weekend. I thought I'd share a great bit of reading from the weekend in case you haven't seen it. Interesting points taken from this as follows. With the court case going ahead at the end of the month, I thought this was a great time to remind everyone that this is the time we hold the Government and SAPOL management to task for the way they have appallingly handled the industry with their supposed consultation, for any business that has been i...n discussion with them which is outlined in the article, I would love to hear from you, as I feel like this is another pure fabrication on their behalf. As its stands, there is absolutely no way that firearms can process the 100,000's of firearms applications needed between now and the amnesty end date so hold onto them until after the court date. So here are some stats to help highlight Grant Stevens and Stephen Howard ineptitude from their Ivory towers. Not to mention the Liberal Government supporting this from as far back as April Last year, months before the industry was shut down over night. There have only been 1400 blasters handed in since the start of the amnesty out of what we estimate to be over 200k in circulation. There are 8000 actual real firearms unaccounted for in the public domain that SAPOL can't find records for, so how can they manage 100's of thousands more. There was no legal stand point under SA legislation and regulation for them to stop processing B709's up until October 7 2020, and the ones the rejected before that date businesses were told it was because of COVID, another blatant lie, along with many others that are well documented. So in the article it says that no one has been rejected for an application, let's show you a very underhanded tactic, read the attached letter, below, by reading this would any fair and reasonable person thing they have been rejected? By using the word 'may' highlighted in orange they are pushing the onus back on the applicant to continue the process. When continuing the process people are being told to wait. So what happens in between now and the amnesty end date? They can't process your licensing application. You can't register one until you are licensed. They are setting the public up to fail. MOST worryingly it appears that as these toys will now fall under the firearms act, that the police can effectively search your property without a warrant. Let that sink in, 200,000 plus South Australian homes they now have access to on a whim. A mass invasion of privacy. Here's the links below for those interested in some light reading. https://www.legislation.sa.gov.au//2020.0/2017.70.AUTH.PDF https://www.legislation.sa.gov.au//CURRENT/2015.46.AUTH.PDF As well as the link to the actual article. https://www.adelaidenow.com.au//2e56b839d1001849997a662cc7

14.01.2022 Big things are coming...

13.01.2022 Pre-order the latest gel blaster pistol from Tactical Edge Hobbies. Runs on Co2 so no issues with gas availability and inconsistency. Due date is 27th of May 2020. ... Visit https://tacticaledge.com.au/collections/pre-order For more details and prices.

13.01.2022 Hey Guys, Keep up the great work with signing the petition, 10,000 is what we need to achieve our goal of making any proposed changes go to parliament. dont let us be railroaded. Regards Chris

12.01.2022 Good Morning all, After what was a pretty interesting week I felt it was time to make a public comment on what has transpired. Thanks again to the community and industry for your support in this matter and every other matter that is currently occurring relating to the industry around the country. At the end of the day, the regulation means that by simply joining an association such as ours and following guidelines for storage that you already do, you will get to keep your G...el Blasters and continue as you were with the sport. That said, after meeting with Mark Ryans office and QPS a few months ago we recognised that there were political back room games being played, when you sit in a meeting with a chief of staff that sits there and starts using non definitive language surrounding what had been discussed to date while saying trust us we will do the right thing, you tend to do the opposite. A few days later we found out that their office had arranged with the media to hold a press conference about a Gel Blaster incident in Townsville where a 13 year old boy stole a can of drink using one, just so they could incite some public fear once again, as opposed to working with the industry which we had already had great success in doing with QPS with Stop and Think. From there we ceased contact with his office. We have also found out that his office, in this parliamentary process, has missed a few steps and so in conjunction with Gel Blaster Association Inc. we have started exploring other avenues from both a legal sense and political sense that will protect the industry in the long term. What has been the most upsetting part of this matter is the clear and blatant disrespect shown to industry by someone that is meant to support and serve the community as a whole. It is clear that somewhere along the way that a single ego and agenda has become far more important than protecting the rights for children to play with a toy gun. In an election year it is astounding that a politician would want his legacy to be forever known as the police minister allowing the lavish wedding of a convicted bikie in prison and that he...regulated toy guns. So as it stands as a community if you are truly worried about protecting yourself you can join an association (ours for $20 per year) via the link below. https://www.gbaa.com.au/registration-p/member-registration/ As an association we will continue to follow the other options at our disposal, as this is now a matter of standing the rights of Australians to protect them against politicians that forgot how to serve the public. Regards Chris https://www.9news.com.au//f13da955-5371-42a3-aedb-ba02c4d7

11.01.2022 Gel blasters get a mention on Aussie reviews. It is a good idea to listen to what he is saying on this one. If you want to keep gel blasters then you are going to have to fight for them I reckon. https://youtu.be/2tjgoD8p8eo

09.01.2022 Hi all, I would love you to watch this, simply the first 20 seconds, as it sums it all up. While it is absolutely imperative that public safety concerns are addressed appropriately (which we support whole heartedly). So what is legal the precedent it sets when the police commissioner clearly states that Gel Blasters are not included under the firearms act. Does the crippling of local emerging business sector on a whim now mean that this puts SAPAOL in line for a class action... from each and every business that is suffering as a result. Interested to hear your thoughts? What it actually highlights is a new interpretation of existing laws, or is it worse than that, did they never actually understand it to begin with and it took them a year to work it out... (its option one for this playing at home). As always more than happy to discuss with SAPOL a sustainable way to move the industry forward while addressing public safety. Regards Chris Sinclair https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VX2tymTnO5Y

09.01.2022 Share this one far and wide, particularly if you are in any or the northern districts

09.01.2022 Hi all, Quick update on some news we received last night. SAPOL have requested an adjournment to next weeks hearing... Now wait for it, the reason is that they need more time to prepare their case around the ballistics reports.... So as it’s stands, they are currently not comfortable with their argument being strong enough to hold up in a courtroom, around the one thing that they deemed key in declaring gel blasters a firearm. So, let’s get this straight, it was good enough to wipe out an industry but not good enough to hold up next week in court? This was something that we didn’t even want to discuss in this hearing, in testing the legislation because we knew their argument was so weak, and here they are using it as an excuse to potentially create a very large pool of illegal ‘firearms’ owners. This is blatant police entrapment at the highest level. We are trying to lock in a new date hopefully before the amnesty date, but as far as dirty tactics go.. this takes the cake. We look forward to our day in court to hopefully redeem some faith in the Australian legal system, as it’s quite clear the police and politicians supporting them think they are above the law. Email your local member of parliament , let them know that this is unacceptable to the people paying their wage, the Australian tax payer. Regards Chris

08.01.2022 Hi Guys, As you know there has been a bit of noise around the regulation of Gel Blasters in South Australia in recent times, so for all of the South Australian GB community members we decided that we should set up this page to enable discussion in the industry. This is a place to have logical discussion and to help protect the sport in South Australia.

08.01.2022 This is where our Tax payer dollars are being spent! If you watched Peters video the other day, this clearly signals the intent of ABF, they are very happy to take credit for a seizure that they actually have no jurisdiction over. Gel Blasters are completely Legal under current federal regulations, so why be involved in possession charges under state law after failing to seize an imported product?

07.01.2022 Hey all, I just wanted to update the latest from the bill put before parliament regarding Gel Blasters. I have screen grabbed the key points to this for ease of reference, but if anyone wants to go through in more detail, the below links are the comprehensive documents. We will be going through this in more detail tomorrow and cross-referencing our previous meeting notes. Please feel free to share your thoughts. https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au//Table/2020/5620T430.pdf... https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au//Table/2020/5620T432.pdf

06.01.2022 Here is a message for everyone... Please watch.

05.01.2022 Hi Guys, After what has been a pretty eventful few weeks, I wanted to share some good news into what has been going on behind the scenes and what is to come. I've just been part of a telephone meeting with one of the barristers regarding the case we will be presenting against SAPOL in the supreme court. His exact words were he is 'incredibly relaxed' about the case. He has reviewed all of the legislation and regulation and is incredibly confident about what is to come from a... legal standpoint. For obvious reasons, I'm not going to share the specific details of this, and to be honest if you don't know myself or Peter personally I don't expect you to, but I would like to add if there was ever a time to show trust in the community, now is the time. From a personal standpoint it is also fantastic to hear someone speak like this when I know how much businesses have suffered via unlawful decisions made by SAPOL and the firearms registrar. The other part of this that will be incredibly rewarding, is that once this is done and dusted, it should also open up SAPOL and the SA Government to pay compensation, to not only business owners impacted by this but also private owners that have handed in their blasters or had them seized. While I say this, please be aware that doing something dumb, I expect you will be punished in accordance with the law, however do get familiar with the legal term 'arbitrary deprivation of property'. So what do we need from you now? For those that haven't seen it, I have again attached the FOI of communications between the Police Commissioners office and Local Ministers. If you for one minute think that the government hasn't played a part in this, you are wrong. So let's make a stand. We need to apply as much political pressure as possible and make sure that they know where your vote is going if they don't have a viewpoint because after court is where the real battle will begin. Regards Chris Sinclair GBAA

05.01.2022 This is super disappointing. To explain what this means.... If we are to win the case in South Australia, then things go back to how they were before the police made the declaration and then we would start the process of trying to come to a workable compromise with the ministers and the police similar to what we did in QLD. The link below basically means that the police and the politicians are working on moving the goal posts. ... Essentially they can see that they will lose so they are attempting to pre-empt that and change the regulations to suit their current agenda. This regulation change will make certain that gel blasters are considered firearms. The only way to stop this is to get some SA politicians on side to stop the regulation going through. We need all the help we can get on this one. Due to the police changing the goal posts when it comes to the court case, our legal costs have pretty much doubled. Peter Clark https://www.police.sa.gov.au//updated-regulations-for-gel-

04.01.2022 As the president of the GBAA I am pretty proud of our community. We have displayed a deep connection with the sport, a sense of community that can only be described as impressive and a level of scepticism regarding the government that is certainly reflective of the current political climate. There has been some bickering among certain groups which of course should be expected. However, when it comes to the government getting involved the community has come up with a resoundi...ng NO. We have made it pretty clear that we dont want the government meddling with our hobbies. It is probably pretty rare that a petition limited to one state of Australia can get close to 10k signatures on a petition within a week. I honestly believe this is just the start, our hobby and sport has a long way to go and if we can keep the government out of it, we will continue to experience exponential growth. The amount of people the sport helps is phenomenal, I he jobs it provides, the teams, the mate ship. It might sound like a cliche but gel blasting is as Aussie as it gets. Who doesnt like jumping in the car with your mates and all your gear and then sweating it out to complete an objective together. It is an awesome past time and I truly believe it is helping a lot of people and I know it is helping a lot of our diggers who are finding it hard to cope without the mate ship they formed when in service. I am not a digger so I have no idea how they feel but I would like to think that I can try to empathise and try to provide a place where they can work out their demons if that is what they need to do. I would propose the the government think about instead of restricting, support institutions like wounded heros by giving them a grant to help the diggers get back on their feet. Why dont they turn the negative to a positive instead of always trying to Stamp their feet all over something that is providing so much benefit. I would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section. Peter Clark President GBAA

04.01.2022 Just so you guys know, the guy who is going to change the regulations to turn gel blasters into a firearm is the guy in the picture below. Even if we win the court battle, this fella will sign off on a regulation change that encompasses gel blasters. Just food for thought.

04.01.2022 Hi all, Super quick update! I just wanted to share that SAPOL should be getting a visit from the sheriff either today or Monday. Also if you have any outstanding questions. today might also be a great day to call and ask them. Also a great day to call your local member and air any grievances you have with their lack of support for industry and small business, especially in light of this week. Regards Chris

03.01.2022 Hi Everyone, One of the things I love the most about this community is the desire to work together and the ability to gather resources from far and wide. So, I have been sitting on this for over a week now, and this gives a really clear insight into what SAPOL and the ministers have had planned for the last year. So, do you think that a little insight into what they had planned a year ago would have given business owners time to adjust, and here we have Stephen Howard, getti...ng on TV saying he had no knowledge of what he was about to do to destroy businesses overnight, they have even gone and templated communications to deploy for when we actually fought back. I've submitted my crime and corruption case, these politicians and public servants need to be held accountable. They are meant to enforce laws and serve the general public not create a highly organised path of deceit to shut down an entire industry with no lawful reason. So, here is the go fund me link as a reminder, which is almost at $16k to help win this in court, as it appears the only ones to want to do things lawfully are the public now. Regards Chris gf.me/u/y3yr53 https://www.police.sa.gov.au//SAPOL-FOI-Determination-Ref-

03.01.2022 Hey everyone please sign this if you havent already, We obviously love our TOY blasters and if we want to keep them without any Restrictions imposed on us responsible enthusiasts.... i urge you to please sign as you voice matters and change can happen.

02.01.2022 In recent weeks ourselves and the other Gel Blaster associations had come a little under fire for a perception of us being on different pages with our stance on certain topics, in particular, the Police ministers media release surrounding proposed changes. In response last week I attended a rival associations meeting (where we share similar views) as a member, to show my support, as well as our associations support for the sport as a whole. What I found was a room full of p...eople wanting to support and grow the sport which was really refreshing to see, particularly in a world where social media allows the voice of negativity to shine. One of the key initiatives that we would like to start promoting off the back of this, is letting people share their story on what the sport has done for them. I know from countless conversations I have had at fields and in stores, that we have so many amazing stories of how the community has helped bring people together, from assisting soldiers with PTSD, through to helping kids with spectrum disorders get outside and have fun and the incredible weight loss journeys that people have been on as a result of their involvement. If you have a story you would like to share, even anonymously if you want to, please send us a message or email us on [email protected] Also, there is another open meeting being held by our Rival again this evening at the Albion Peace centre at 6.30pm in Brisbane. If you would like to attend please let me know, otherwise I look forward to seeing you there. Regards Chris

02.01.2022 Everyone who went on the channel 9 adelaide post and put a frown face is voting against gel ball. You need to like it. If you put a frown please go and change to a like.

01.01.2022 Everyone, Please Watch This.

01.01.2022 Hey guys, this is the real world ramification of SAPOL and the insipid MP’s supporting this stance on gel blasters.