There is no doubt why many residents of Collector are concerned about the proposed national live-fire centre on their doorstep.
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Not only is there a permeable fear of "loud and alarming" gunshots going off at all hours in the peaceful area but the secrecy in which the plans have been announced has not allayed concerns.
The centre, which is roughly between Canberra and Goulburn, has been proposed by the Australian Defence Force's main provider of live-fire shooting facilities, Australian Target Systems. It will train police in lethal force and counter-terrorism operations, including sniper training.
While the NSW firearms registry has approved the plan it is contingent on the green light of the Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council.
It is reasonable that some secrecy would surround a training centre dealing with counter-terrorism due to obvious links to national security interests.
But that doesn't mean the proponents needed to be so tight-lipped about the proposal in its early stages nor allow secret training operations of the NSW Police on the land before the project was approved by council.
This creates unnecessary fear in the community and an immediate sense of distrust.
It is a sad reality that such training facilities are necessary in Australia but in the aftermath of the Lindt Cafe siege and events around the world those on the front-line do need to be prepared.
It is just not quite clear whether training police officers in counter-terrorism measures on the outskirts of a rural town most well-known for its annual pumpkin festival is the right move.
The proponents could not have expected such a concentration of ex-Defence personnel living in the area specifically for the peace, quiet and calm of the rural community.
It might be a convenient location so close to the national capital and those who will train there but it may have been better to find a site not on the doorstep of a country town.
The proposed centre is not without precedent in the region as it comes more than a decade after the Defence Force built its Joint Operations Command near Bungendore, about 30 minutes from Canberra.
While it is not the same type of facility, at the time locals raised concerns about noise, lights, water supply and traffic impacts. By all appearances it has not seemed to have had a negative impact on the region so far.
The proposed national live firing range presents a challenge to both the rural community and those who seek to run it. The council has a huge responsibility to make the right decision over whether it is approved.
