GUNS BLAZE AT HILLTOP

After receiving documentation from the Hilltop No Gun Club Group, Clr Larry Whipper has come out in public support of the groups concerns. He will ask his fellow Councils to agree to a request from the Hill Top Residents Action group Inc’s request for a meeting to brief Councillors in more details on the matter.

“This appears to be just another example of the State Governments arrogance flying in the face of Community concern and Local Government autonomy,” Clr Whipper said. After reading the documentation from HTRAGI, Clr Whipper commented on a number of points relating to the transparency and credibility of a process that appears to be changing the rules on the run for the sake of little more than convenience.

“Given that such a proposal clearly falls outside of the regulation of our LEP and is not supported by the residents of the area is something that we need to consider, Clr Whipper said.

According to Clr Whipper, “It is a travesty that a clause which was introduced into legislation in July 2007, which prevented the Minister from approving a Part 3A application which was not zoned appropriately, was again amended in November 2007 to include a “transitional” provisional which would allow the Ministers intervention and probable approval under Part 3A of the Act”.

There have been rumours that the closure of the Malabar Anzac Rifle Range now imminent, that the State Government is possibly under more pressure, to repay electoral favours that have been bestowed upon them by the Shooters Party. This may possibly be the reasoning behind the concerted efforts of the Government to rezone Environmentally sensitive land to permit the use of gun sport.

“The fact that there have already been 1000 hectares of conservation area annexed from the Bargo State Conservation Area, even though no application has been submitted, is disturbing”. According to Clr Whipper. “This would appear to give a clear indication that the approval is indeed imminent and that the public exhibition process will be little more than a sham”.

The social impacts and the potential impost on the rates of local residents associated with the increased costs of infrastructure demands that will flow from the approval of such a facility will be enormous. The real environmental impacts of noise, habitat destruction, and threats to wildlife and to water from pollution and leeching from spent cartridges are also a very real consideration it appears that the Government are prepared to ignore along with Councils rights to consider the feelings and wishes of the local community in terms of planning for the people.

Ends