We heard Mr Usher say that the event does not require such consent because it does not involve land use and because the existing development consent is for temporary structures.

The one and only DA for the event, approved in 2012, describes the proposed use as “Hunting, camping, photo/DVD competition, food stalls”, and no more.

That certainly sounds like a land use and one that does not involve the sale of firearms and ammunition.

And the building in which the event will take place - the Narooma Sports and Leisure Centre - is not a temporary structure.

What, then, was Mr Usher talking about?

The Environmental Defender’s Office (EDO), an organisation with expertise in these matters, disagrees with Mr Usher – as does commonsense.

Who should the community believe?

Stop Arms Fairs in Eurobodalla (SAFE) looks forward to hearing back from the EDO after it has received council’s response to its letter of May 21, which is headed “Threatened Breach of Development Consent by Huntfest 2015”.

In the meantime, SAFE can’t help but be amused by the irony of a threat of legal action against it by Dan Field, president of the South Coast Hunters Club, for SAFE seeking to have the law enforced in this matter.

If any problems arise from the actions of SAFE, there is but one culprit, and that is council, for not attending to the development consent process properly.

Council, alone, has created the problems, including the legal costs; just as it created problems by ignoring the fact that 81 per cent of submissions by residents opposed the Huntfest arms fair.

Peter Cormick

Deua River Valley