PRESIDENT of the South Coast Hunters Club Dan Field is unfazed by advice from the Environmental Defender’s Office that Eurobodalla Shire Council’s approval of an expanded HuntFest was incorrect.
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Speaking on Monday before council’s meeting on Tuesday, Mr Field said he believed the council acted properly.
He said no one from the council ever mentioned that the South Coast Hunters Club must submit a new development application for their expanded festival.
“I believe the council staff are smart enough not to get something as important as this so blatantly wrong,” he said.
“I discussed it at length with council staff and, as far as I knew, we had all our Is dotted and all our Ts crossed.
“We haven’t got a thing to worry about.”
Mr Field said more than 60 stallholders had booked for the event, approximately four of these selling firearms.
He said if the actions of the Stop Arms Fairs in Eurobodalla (SAFE) group caused problems, organisers might consider legal action against SAFE and its members, on whose behalf the Environmental Defender’s Office was acting.
But Mr Field said his biggest concern was the message sent to the club and others.
“The message is ... whether it be HuntFest, a festival or to build something, you will have to take it first to SAFE, then to Gabi Harding and then to the Environmental Defenders, then to council,” he said.
“We’ve just had approval of a huge rate rise - how much do you honestly think this will be costing the ratepayers?
“Quite a few thousand dollars, one would think, because council, I believe, would have had to get legal representation.
“What are the poor business people of Narooma going to do when they lose their nearly $1 million influx to the town for that weekend.
“They’re the bigger losers, the community.”
Mr Field said that if stallholders could not sell firearms, they could still display them.
“You can tell how worried I am,” Mr Field said.
“All publicity is great publicity and once again, we would like to thank SAFE and all its members and Gabi Harding for all the great free publicity.”