SSAA NSW thanks outgoing President Lance Miller for his outstanding service and welcomes new SSAA NSW President Jai Rowell.
Thank you Lance for Your Service as President
The Sporting Shooters Association of Australia NSW extends its sincere and heartfelt gratitude to Lance Miller as he steps down as President.
Lance is someone who has given a tremendous amount of service to our Association. He gives freely of his time seven days a week and without his involvement it is true that SSAA NSW would not be as well placed as it is today.
Lance has been a proud member of SSAA NSW since 2008 and over 18 years his commitment has grown from dedicated branch volunteer to the highest office in the state and Australia serving as National President.
At a local level, he has served as Senior Vice President of the Coffs Harbour Branch for 16 years and despite his state and previous national responsibilities, has never stopped showing up for his branch community. He is a familiar and beloved member of the Coffs Harbour Branch often in attendance at various events, mostly behind the barbecue.
As a Board member and Director of SSAA NSW for many years, including the last 10 as President, Lance’s leadership has been transformative. Under his stewardship, SSAA NSW grew by over 20,000 members to more than 73,000, the Association was professionalised, governance was strengthened and communication to branches and members was significantly improved. He led the advocacy charge on behalf of law-abiding firearms owners across the state with remarkable results.
Lance’s government engagement has been particularly significant in opposing unfair and disproportionate legislation. Among his many achievements, Lance along with the Board worked to help stop the Criminal Use Bill in its tracks, lodging an e-petition that became the largest e-petition in NSW Parliament history at the time. That record was later surpassed by his own advocacy against the Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment (TOLA) Act 2025, with a petition reaching almost 100,000 signatures, a testament to the trust members placed in his leadership and the strength of his stakeholder engagement on behalf of law-abiding firearms owners across the state.
Lance protected the rights of hunters by defeating Animal Welfare Bill clauses that would have restricted hunting. He ensured noise regulations for ranges were not changed in ways that would have stopped future range development. He stopped an Explosives Regulation that would have reduced the amount of powder an individual could hold per household affecting competitors. He launched SSAA NSW’s Registered Training Organisation (RTO), cementing the Association’s standing as a leader in safety and training. In one instance he resolved almost 400 individual member advocacy requests with the NSW Firearms Registry. He appeared before two NSW Parliamentary inquiries representing SSAA NSW and the shooting sports. He has been appointed to the NSW Firearms Registry Consultative Council (FRCC) and he continues to meet with Premiers, Ministers and leaders of political parties and is a respected voice for the shooting community. He has worked closely with other shooting associations, industry and other key stakeholders in this endeavour.
At a national level, Lance was elected unopposed as President of SSAA National, where he worked tirelessly on major reform projects benefiting all members across the country. He has worked with the insurance Board to maintain the most cost effective insurance for the entire national Association, reformed the national constitution, pursued alternative funding models to return more funds to states and territories and actively supported both national and state disciplines.
Lance provided leadership not only to his branch, but to SSAA NSW, SSAA National, 73,000 members in NSW and to the hundreds of thousands of members across the country.
Lance’s Next Chapter
While Lance steps down as SSAA NSW President, it would be a mistake to think he is stepping back. Lance is not finished advocating for the shooting sports and firearms community, far from it. He is stepping aside to lead a legislative engagement effort against the TOLA legislation, which poses one of the most serious threats to law-abiding firearms owners this country has seen in recent years. This is not a small undertaking; it is arguably the most important advocacy battle the Australian firearms community has faced in a generation and the fact that Lance is prepared to lead that charge, after everything he has already given, speaks volumes about the man and his unwavering commitment to our community.
There will be further updates on this in the weeks to come.
Jai Rowell appointed SSAA NSW President
SSAA NSW is also very pleased to announce that Jai Rowell, Junior Vice President, has been unanimously appointed by the SSAA NSW Board last night as the new SSAA NSW President. Jai is proven, reliable and experienced so will hit the ground running given his deep understanding of SSAA NSW and the shooting sports.
Jai served for five years as CEO and Executive Director of SSAA NSW, a role he described not as a job but as a passion.
During that time, together with President Lance Miller, Board and the Association’s strong membership family, he delivered year-on-year membership and improved financial growth and secured millions of dollars in grant funding to assist range development and upgrades across branches.
He oversaw SSAA NSW through the Covid-19 pandemic and guided the organisation out the other side stronger. He changed the legal structure of SSAA NSW from an Incorporated Association to a Company Limited by Guarantee, strengthened governance and stabilised the financial base.
Jai also secured new ranges in both rural and metropolitan areas and led communications reform that saw SSAA NSW become one of the most connected peak bodies with its membership in the Association’s history as well as working with Lance on legislation reform in the best interests of law abiding firearms owners.
He also previously served as General Manager of St Marys Indoor Shooting Centre where he turned the operations financial position around generating much needed funds for members and achieved the highest patronage in the Centre’s history. Jai now serves as Chair of the Board of SSAA Pty Ltd as well volunteering as its Company Secretary. Jai was also the Inaugural General Manager of the SSAA NSW Auburn Shooting Centre.
Like Lance previously, Jai also currently serves as a Director of SSAA National and as a member of the SSAA National Finance, Legal Oversight, Legislative Action and previously was on the Disciplines Committee. He is a Founding Director of SSAA Mutual Pty Ltd and a Director of SSAA Insurance Brokerage Pty Ltd.
Jai also served on the Board of the NSW Game and Pest Board under the NSW Government’s Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and has been regularly appointed to ad-hoc groups within government agencies to assist the shooting sports, hunting and game and pest management.
Amongst all his duties, Jai also serves as a Branch President and remains a Firearms Safety Instructor to this day and one of the things he finds most rewarding is introducing new people to the sport.
Externally, Jai brings a depth of experience and insight that is rare. He holds a degree in Law and is a Fellow of Law at a major University. He has served as a local government Councillor, a member of the NSW Parliament and worked across all levels of Government.
Jai’s appointment is not just a continuation of strong leadership, it is a statement of intent. He arrives in the role with the relationships, the institutional knowledge, the legal and political expertise and a genuine commitment to the shooting sports that is needed to lead SSAA NSW through one of the most challenging and consequential periods the firearms community has faced.
His unanimous appointment reflects the absolute confidence and trust placed in him by the Board and SSAA NSW looks forward to everything he will achieve.
SSAA NSW thanks Lance once again for his extraordinary contribution and wishes him and his beautiful wife Marie well. The Association looks forward to a smooth transition as Jai leads the next chapter, building on the incredible foundation Lance has established over so many years of dedicated service. Lance’s legacy is secure and his story is far from over.
On behalf of the SSAA NSW Board, we want to personally thank Lance Miller for his outstanding service, leadership and commitment to our Association and to the broader sporting shooting community. Lance has led with strength, conviction and dedication and his contribution has left SSAA NSW stronger, more professional and better placed for the challenges ahead. We also warmly welcome Jai Rowell as President. Jai brings proven leadership, deep experience and a genuine devotion to SSAA NSW and we have every confidence that he will lead the Association with strength, focus and determination.
On behalf of SSAA NSW Board and its members, thank you Lance and welcome Jai.
Pete Szaak
CEO
