Australian Paintball Industry Association

Australian Paintball Industry Association (APIA) is an Australian paintball industry organisation established to represent paintball businesses in discussions with government and regulatory authorities. Its activities focus on improving legislation governing paintball equipment, commercial playing fields, participation and the development of the sport across Australia.[1][2]

The association has been particularly active in New South Wales, where it participated in campaigns and consultations concerning the regulation of paintball markers, playing age restrictions and commercial paintball operations.[3]

Unlike a players' association or tournament governing body, the APIA primarily represents the interests of businesses operating within the paintball industry.[1]

History

Establishment

The APIA was established during the mid-2000s by Australian paintball business operators seeking a coordinated approach to government relations.

The association's published records contain conflicting establishment dates. Its official homepage identifies 2004, while its history page and an early membership letter state that the organisation was established in 2006.[1][2][4]

Michael Whybrew of Action Paintball Games was involved in establishing the association and served as its early president.

An undated membership letter published by the association identifies Whybrew as president and Peter Russell of Paintball Pete's as vice-president.[4]

The letter also identifies several businesses involved in establishing the organisation, including:

Action Paintball Games
Heartbreak Ridge Paintball
Paintball Pete's
Hunter Valley Paintball
Fortworth Laser and Skirmish
Lithgow Paintball
Newcastle Paintball
Skirmish Down Under
Predator Paintball
Extreme Paintball

According to the letter, Action Paintball Games provided the initial funding and administrative expenses required to establish the association.[4]

Objectives

The APIA identifies three principal objectives:[1]

Improving understanding of the Australian paintball industry.
Promoting greater consistency in paintball rules and regulations between Australian states and territories.
Supporting the growth of the Australian paintball industry.

Its advocacy has concentrated on regulatory issues including player age restrictions, private ownership of paintball markers, equipment importation, licensing requirements and commercial field operations.

The organisation has also sought to cooperate with existing state industry bodies and encourage representation in states without equivalent organisations.[2]

Regulatory advocacy

Paintball marker importation

The APIA has been involved in discussions concerning Australian restrictions on the importation of semi-automatic paintball markers.

An Australian Attorney-General's Department freedom of information disclosure dated 11 February 2016 identifies documents relating to an APIA proposal concerning the importation of semi-automatic paintball markers, prior to legislative amendments affecting their importation.[5]

The association's earlier membership correspondence also describes its involvement in efforts to reform equipment importation restrictions.[4]

New South Wales legislative reform

A major focus of the association's activities has been reforming paintball legislation in New South Wales.

Historically, paintball markers in New South Wales were regulated under firearms legislation, creating licensing and administrative requirements for businesses and participants.

The APIA campaigned for a separate regulatory framework and lower minimum participation ages.

In August 2018, the New South Wales Government announced legislation intended to modernise paintball regulation.

The proposed reforms included:

Reducing the minimum playing age from 16 to 12, subject to parental consent.
Removing paintball markers from the list of prohibited firearms.
Transferring responsibility for paintball regulation from NSW Police to NSW Fair Trading.
Establishing a separate permit system for paintball markers and commercial venues.[3][6]

The reforms followed consultation between government agencies and representatives of the paintball industry.

APIA president Michael Whybrew publicly welcomed the proposed legislation in August 2018, describing the reduction in the minimum playing age and removal of paintball markers from firearms regulation as positive developments.[3]

The Paintball Act 2018 and accompanying regulations commenced on 1 July 2019.[6]

Although the APIA was an advocate for these reforms, the legislation was developed and enacted by the New South Wales Government following broader industry consultation.

Subsequent legislative consultations

The association continued participating in paintball regulatory consultations after the implementation of the 2018 legislation.

On 2 February 2023, the APIA submitted a written response to the draft Paintball Amendment Bill 2022 through the New South Wales Government's public consultation process.[7]

Its submission addressed proposed changes concerning interstate equipment sales, permit administration, marker registration, transportation requirements and the continued regulation of paintball equipment.

The submission also advocated for improved communication between government regulators and paintball businesses.

The Paintball Amendment Act 2023 was subsequently passed by the New South Wales Parliament in October 2023.[8]

Organisation and governance

The APIA operates as an industry association with membership intended for businesses involved in the Australian paintball sector, including playing fields, retailers, wholesalers, importers and manufacturers.[1]

The association's published committee hierarchy identifies the following officers and representatives:[9]

Position	Name	Affiliation
Acting president and media relations	Michael Whybrew	Action Paintball Games
Secretary and treasurer	Dwayne Nicholls	Project Paintball Wagga
Committee member	John Caruana	Paintballshop.com
Committee member	Manny Kargas	Heartbreak Ridge
Committee member	Peter Moss	Ultimate Paintball
Player liaison officer	Jamie Angus

The association's committee webpage does not specify the date on which this listing was last updated.

References

External links