Tamworth Bushwalking and Canoe Club president Kerry Lowe told The Leader last week he had concerns about the Rural Fire Service’s plans to erect a tower at the top of the Kamilaroi Walking Trail.

He said the planned tower would be “smack-bang” in the middle of the trail’s best viewing point and, as such, he would write to Tamworth Regional Council urging that it be shifted about 40m to the north.

The suggestion prompted long-time Daruka resident Bill Gore – who supports the tower’s construction despite the expected impact on his property from its associated poles and wires – to label the club “rather selfish”.

But Mr Lowe said he wanted to make it abundantly clear that the club was not opposed to the tower, which if built will allow the RFS and NSW Police to switch from an analogue to digital communications system.

He said the club merely wanted to raise the prospect of altering the plans in the development application to reduce the predicted impact on people using the path.

“We wholeheartedly support the construction of the tower for the common good, as expressed by Mr Gore,” he said.

“However, some of the things that have been said (by Mr Gore) make our club look not so good. He said we were being ‘rather selfish’ and that, to me, is a little bit of rubbish.

“Unless Mr Gore is an expert in the location of communication towers, he cannot come out and say that our proposition is not feasible.

“The only one that can say that is maybe the technical people working for the RFS. If we suggest that the tower be moved 40m to the north, it would be up to the experts to tell the public that that is not feasible.”

Tamworth Regional Council is calling for residents to have their say on the Flagstaff Mountain proposal. The public consultation period runs until Monday.