SA coroner frustrated by police inaction

The South Australian coroner has expressed his frustration at police for not looking into a tethering system at an Adelaide shooting range aimed at preventing people turning the guns on themselves.

Mark Johns on Tuesday questioned why police had failed to act on what he said was an issue of public safety after three deaths at the Marksman firing range in Adelaide since 2008.

He is conducting an inquest into the death of Brenton McConnal, 47, who shot himself in December 2015, after similar deaths at the same venue in 2008 and 2009.

Those deaths prompted the coroner to recommend that a tethering system be introduced and Marksman acted by developing its own device.

But it cannot be put in place without permission from police, and the coroner was told the operators had tried in vain since 2012 to have officers inspect it.

In that time, police had also taken legal action against the range in a bid to have it shut down, with the Supreme Court yet to make a final decision.

Mr Johns said notwithstanding the legal action was still to be resolved, he could not understand why police had not moved "heaven and earth" to have the tethering system introduced.

"I simply can't see why there isn't in SAPOL's 4000 strong uniformed force someone who could get down there today, have a look at it and then - take a risk, step forward and say `yep, this is fine or no, it's not'," the coroner said.

At one stage Mr Johns adjourned the hearing to allow for an inspection to be arranged with police attending the firing range during the break.

Mr Johns said there could be nothing more urgent than the introduction of the increased safety measures.

"It is a matter of public safety," he said.