Shooting range proposed outside Collector taken to Land and Environment Court

Developers took their fight to the Land and Environment Court despite resistance from residents for the establishment of the range outside Collector.

Residents concerned about the noise successfully fought an application from Australian Target Systems to build a NSW Police counter-terrorism training, which would have included live-action fire within 600 metres from homes.

However, a new application was then submitted by Fiona Burns, the wife of the former chief executive of Australian Target Systems Paul Burns.

At the time, the company said it was not involved in the new bid despite the involvement of Mr Burns, now a board member of Australian Target Systems.

The second application was for a private range on a smaller piece of land, but was refused at a Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council meeting in 2019.

Councillor Mark Schweikert defended the project, telling the meeting a sound engineer report had concluded the range was "inaudible and immeasurable" from the nearest resident's property.

Councillors Peter Marshall and Pete Harrison opposed the development. Their reasoning included that Lake George Road would not stand up to increased traffic.

Since then, there have been two amendments to the application, with the latter amendment publicly notified throughout August.

The court has listed the appeal for a hearing beginning on March 1.