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Hill Top Residents' Action Group Inc |
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Media Releases The small communities
of Hill Top and surrounding villages in the Mr Sartor’s
latest move in the approval process is to gazette new regulations enabling him to circumvent limitations on his powers which
he only introduced last July. The proposed
shooting complex is just 1.6 kms from the nearest homes, 3.5 kms from the main street of Hill Top, and about 4 kms from the
local school. With up to 250 shooters using six ranges, which will be open seven days and some nights, locals believe the
peaceful rural atmosphere will be shattered by the sound of constant gunfire. Yet the only consultation with the community has been two “information sheets” placed in letter
boxes over the last 12 months which have failed to allay locals’ fears about safety, noise, lead contamination of pristine
streams, threats to wildlife, bushfires and over-crowding of unsuitable roads. Using special legislation,
the State Government has excised 1,000 hectares of native bush from a State Conservation Area and leased it to seven private
shooting clubs to develop the Southern Highlands Regional Shooting Complex. There is $5.2 million of taxpayers money being
spent on the complex as part of a deal between the State Government and the Shooters Party several years ago. A single 800 metre
rifle range has existed on the site since 1986, despite the land never being zoned for the purpose. But last year the Department
of Sport and Recreation submitted a planning application for a new complex with additional facilities and hours of operation: In August 2007 the size of the proposal was significantly increased to add: · An additional rifle/pistol range · An indoor air pistol range · Enlargement of one pistol range to 90 shooting
positions · A doubling of car parking spaces to 180. · Expected peak use by 250 shooters · 6.5metre tall building · Extensive clearing · Shooting at night. Hill Top Residents
Action Group (HTRAG) representative Julie Cook said the group was not opposed to shooting as a recreation, but the development
of such a large complex so close to homes and schools on conservation land was totally inappropriate. “There
are 750 homes within 5 kms of the existing range and even with the current limited use the sound of gunfire is distressing.
The Development Application confirms that if this mega complex goes ahead there will be gunshots ringing out every day and
some nights. It will be like living in a war zone.” She said documents
obtained by HTRAG showed that the Unsworth Government had overridden Wingecarribee Council’s zoning to push through
approval for the original small range in 1986. Even then, the
National Parks and Wildlife Service had objected, telling the Council in a letter that its concerns included erosion of pristine areas; rocky outcrops on the site were important
for wildlife; poor access; closeness to a popular bushwalking track and “extreme concern” that the site was a
high fire risk. NPWS suggested more suitable sites. The land is zoned
1 (a) Rural which prohibits recreational use such as a shooting range. To by-pass the Wingecarribee Council, Mr Sartor deemed
it to be a Major Project of State Significance, therefore making himself the consent authority, and paving the way for development
approval. Ironically, Mr
Sartor introduced new planning regulations in July this year which prevent him from approving a development which is already
prohibited by the local council’s zoning. HTRAG’s lawyers pointed this out to Mr Sartor in October, and on 16
November the regulations were quietly amended in the Government Gazette to allow the Minister to still consider any rezoning
for a development contrary to Council zoning if
the planning process had started before July, 2007. (The shooting complex was first proposed in 2006.) An Environmental Assessment of the complex is due to be released soon for public comment, but the Action Group
says it is a totally inappropriate site and should be abandoned now. “Once
again Mr Sartor is riding roughshod over small communities. He has performed some incredible legislative gymnastics to pave
the way for this project to go ahead while the local community has been ignored. We are calling on the Government to abandon
this inappropriate development and find an alternative suitable site for the shooting complex,” Ms Cook said.
Click here to read Pru Goward's statement
Greens Councillor Jim Clark has called for proposed regional shooting
complex at Hill Top to be subject to a full Environmental Impact Statement to determine the suitability of the site for
such a large scale facility. Council will not be the determining authority for the complex which would be decided by Planning
Minister Frank Sartor but was asked by the meeting to support the community in opposing it. "It's amazing that the site
has been chosen and excised by the Government from the Conservation area before any detailed studies are complete. What kind
of proper planning process is that?" Clr Contact: Clr Jim Clark
For immediate release: 4 May MEDIA RELEASE A mutli-million dollar shooting
complex is about to descend upon the tranquil NSW Southern Highlands town known as Hill Top. The facility will include pistol,
rifle and shotgun ranges, with an armoury on site. Residents of Hill Top are outraged
by the development proposal and have organised a community lobby group to block the development. The Convenor of the community lobby
group opposing the development, Marbecc Webb, is calling on the Wingecarribee Council to reject the application. As she states,
“After the recent Virginia Tech shooting we do not want our kids being exposed to guns in our community. Hill Top is
a peaceful place and a conservation area. Our kids need more soccer fields not shooting facilities. “Listening to gunfire 7 days
a week does not fit with the zoning restrictions on some of the closest properties let alone the lifestyles of local families. “There are 108 protected
species of flora and fauna here. The area is also classified as a very high bushfire risk. More traffic and people moving
in and out of the area exposes this fragile land to potential fire damage and irreversible environmental damage.” A resident of Hill Top, and mother
of a disabled child, is concerned what the noise of gun fire will have on her child. She states, “It is difficult enough
managing the special demands my child requires without the additional stress that constant gunfire and traffic noise
will create.” In moves to block the development
a Public Meeting will be held on Sunday 6 May at
Thurs 26 April:
MEDIA RELEASE NO GUN CLUB! Local
Opposition to State Govts Regional Shooting Complex Proposal For immediate release: Residents say
NO to Gun Lobby Deal Local residents of Hill Top and Balmoral villages, in the Southern Highlands of NSW, have banded together
to expose the State governments stealth plan to build a $4 million regional shooting facility in Hill Top on conservation
land. Spokesperson for the group, Marbecc Webb, says “we have used our limited resources in a battle
just to get the message out there to the local community about this ill conceived plan.
It has been astounding how quiet the Dept of Sports and Recreation has kept this proposal in the hope of slipping it
by local residents before anyone has had a chance to voice their opinions on the matter.
The plan is to start building in November and there has not been any consultation with the community, apart from a
few one page flyers slipped into a handful of letterboxes the week of Christmas 2006.
Even if people found this flyer amongst the Christmas junk mail they had only 3 weeks over the Christmas/New Year break
to source any information. Conveniently, this happens to be the time of year
when government offices are closed.” “The clandestine nature of this plan has even included the audacious step of passing a Bill through
State Parliament to remove the “There have been handshake deals and flimsy election promises made in the past to appease the gun
lobby that have been pushing for such a facility for 30 years. This alone demonstrates
the unwelcome response the public generally have to spending millions in tax-payer dollars to build more shooting ranges. It is not only an unpopular proposal it is irresponsible. The matter needs to come out into plain view for all to examine.
Relevant interested parties and State Government bodies need to have input before plans are drafted. We call upon the Director-General of the Planning Department, Mr Sam Haddad, to stop any further progress
of this development and allow time to conduct proper investigations into all areas of concern such as bushfire risks, water
catchment interference, lead pollution, endangerment of local protected species, safety of our local community, inadequate
road infrastructure, and the tremendous noise impact it will have on our peaceful village. The group will be holding a Public Meeting at Hill Top War Memorial Hall, Sunday 6 May at
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