Mr Bell demanded that people be allowed to make their own decisions about whether the site was too dangerous.

The government announced on Friday that the Lone Pine service would not be conducted in future because of concerns about the wellbeing of visitors on rough, high terrain where up to 7000 men were killed and injured in 1915.

“Surely it should not be up to the federal government to make decisions on whether the site for the Lone Pine service is safe,” Mr Bell told the Mercury on Sunday. 

“Those decisions should be made by the people who intend to go there. 

“They should be allowed to judge for themselves whether they can attend or not.

“This federal government decision is very disappointing and to me, it appears to devalue what this service is all about and what we have been doing for years – remembering those who fought there.”

John Compton from East Maitland, who has a great uncle buried at Shrapnel Gully in Gallipoli, said he was disappointed with the decision.

“It is sad this ceremony has been called off, but the terrain there is very difficult with sandy, loose gravel,” he said.

“The Lone Pine battles are part of our history and I feel these should be commemorated there.”

Mr Compton and other members of the Rotary Club of East Maitland held a special ­ceremony in Cooks Square last year, during which they planted a tree grown from original seeds of a lone pine at the battle site.

East Maitland Rotary Club member David Sciffer said he had the names of 25 people who were in the Battle of Lone Pine – 18 of whom had died there.

In its Friday announcement, the federal government said: “Given the extended time period visitors are on site, the potential for extreme weather conditions and exposed location on rough terrain, the Lone Pine service will not be conducted from this year onwards.”