The petition was started in mid-December and so far has 67 signatures.

It comes after council last month approved a license variation to include a firearms display and interactive hunting simulators at the next HuntFest.

Sister Laurel Clare Lloyd-Jones from Community of the Little Followers of St Francis started the petition “in hope to move council, local government ministers and the police commissioner to not be so apathetic about this issue”.

Sister Lloyd-Jones said approving the weapons display and interactive training games based on it not being illegal was not a good enough reason, and council should “be for the people of the community”.

“We need to have a discussion and make a judgment that isn’t based on its legality but whether it’s ethically acceptable and what the majority of the people in the community want,” she said. 

Sister Lloyd Jones said Narooma’s HuntFest was not the only event of its kind in Australia, making the issue a national debate.

“It is a bigger issue than just what is happening in our area,” she said.                                                                                                              

“We as a society need to make a stand and that is why I have set up this petition. I want it to be from a wide range of people from throughout Australia.” 

Sister Lloyd-Jones anticipates “thousands of signatures” over the coming months, and will present the petition to council once they have been received.

The South Coast Hunters Club says the interactive simulators are about teaching hunters to aim properly and are no worse than the games kids are able to play in their own homes.

As for the guns display, the club said that it wanted to bring all aspects of hunting to the event to help it grow and prosper.