Firing Range Safety

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (14:51): Supplementary question: can the minister confirm that the regulations which have made changes to tethering were taking place in any case, and is he taking any specific action in relation to comments the Coroner made that he as a minister was misled in relation to tethering at Marksman?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (14:52): As I have stated, I think the most important thing that has come out of the coronial inquiry in and around this particular incident and the death of Mr McConnal is to make sure that where there are things that can be improved upon so as to prevent a similar tragedy replicating itself that that be done. In my view, that is exactly what has taken place with the amendments to the firearms legislation and regulations that will now see tethering provided for at commercial firing ranges in the state of South Australia. I think that is a substantial step forward.

It is regrettable that tethering wasn't already in place at the time of that particular incident, but I think as we look to the future we now do have a regulatory and legislative regime in place that hopefully will prevent such a tragedy occurring again in the future. I think that, of course, is the most important thing to be taken out of this tragic incident.