The Hill Top Residents Action Group (HTRAG) has taken out prominent signs along the M5 (pictured above) questioning the NSW Government’s haste to establish the shooting range on the edge of the national park.

HTRAG has long suspected that the government’s desire to build and fund this complex is tied to securing the support of the Shooters Party in the NSW Parliament.

Spokesperson Jodie Laing said recent events had reinforced this suspicion as the Shooters Party seeks the right to legally hunt in NSW National Parks in return for the passage of the sale of NSW Lotteries by the Government.

“It’s a misuse of scarce government funds,” she said.

“The government has bypassed its own environmental planning laws and ridden roughshod over the local koala population, in its rush to spend millions of taxpayer dollars on the country’s largest shooting complex.

“It’s time the rest of the State knew what was going on, and since the NSW Government won’t tell them, we’ve decided to do it ourselves.

“As drivers approach the Southern Highland and our spectacular national parks, the sign will remind them that this is about to be shooter territory, no matter what that takes.”

The billboard, which reads “$6m Hill Top Shooting Complex OR 100 Nurses, Teachers or Police?” is designed to direct people to the new HTRAG website: www.stophilltop.com.

Located on the M5 at Liverpool West, the billboard is viewed heading outbound from the city, after passing through Liverpool towards Campbelltown and the far south west.

“Serious issues exist with a large number of aspects of this planned project including threats from bushfire, contamination threats to Sydney’s drinking water, threats to native habitat and vulnerable species such as the koala,” Mrs Laing said.

“Threats to proper democratic process and most importantly threats to community safety - including the pedestrian safety of children walking to the local school and the impact on them of the massive shooting noise.

“We are deeply concerned that there is nothing we can do to stop it and the Government is moving rapidly to bulldoze the site within weeks without having fulfilled consent conditions,” Ms Laing said.

“This is despite the proper environmental checks and surveys not being adequately conducted.”