Front Ħarsien ODZ, which was set up when the Zonqor controversy broke out, said today it is objecting to the development of a shooting range at Busbesija, near Mt St Joseph, both because of the scale of development being proposed in an outside development zone and also because of the impact on a nearby retreat house which has served the Maltese community for the past decades.

The old military huts which the developers are promising to restore cover less than 10% of the area being devoted to the project, which is set to include a 300m range adjacent to the huts, a 25m range, a 50m range, an indoor range, a dynamic range, trap and skeet ranges, an artillery battery and a paintball park, the NGO said.

"Front Ħarsien ODZ is calling on the government to exclude shooting ranges located close to hospitals, schools, homes for the retired and retreat houses in the new policy being proposed to regulate shooting ranges," it said.

Front Ħarsien ODZ also expressed concern on reports that the shooting range could attract events such as the Shooting World Cup which, it said, should never take place in a pristine rural area which should be free of traffic and noise.