A letter to the editor from Alan Goddard:

ON JULY 7 and 8, my visitors left soon after gunfire noise pollution commenced and my dog wanted to go with them.

I was left embarrassed and felt like my hearing and mental wellness had been abused by 11 hours of very loud weekend gunfire.

This gunfire, I am told, has been going on for about 25 years.

The Gympie region comprises 69square kilometres, surely there are better gunfire locations? So why did the council put gunfire noise pollution right next to Gympie's town?

This gunfire pollution is located on council-owned rural residential housing land. It's a zoning that gunfire should not occur. If it does, you quickly phone 000.

The council then allowed a second gunfire pollution facility on the same council-owned rural residential housing land. It is 1.4km from the first gunfire pollution facility.

How did that happen?

We all know the importance of protecting and treasuring hearing, because it has to last a lifetime, particularly children's delicate hearing.

It is why town planners locate childcare centres in suburbia, where it is quiet - about 30 decibels is preferred.

Small-bore guns emit 155 decibels and large-bore guns 175 decibels. Shooters wear ear noise protection to avoid rapid hearing loss.

Ratepayers, in my opinion, should not receive more than 30 decibels of gunfire sound and only for a short time, not 11 hours.

I cannot think of a more important core council responsibility.

The current council team is complicit in this 25-year neglect and negligence by renewing the lease to the gunfire pollution.

An explanation and review is required please.

Alan Goddard

Veteran