But Donna Wright is hopeful horse riders will soon return, just as the Commonwealth site, 12 kilometres from central Sydney, once again becomes contested turf.

"It was our home, we lost our home," said Ms Wright, who described being forced to sell much-loved horses stabled at Malabar as "devastating".

"It's such an incredible place. You're that close to the city and you're riding a horse and watching whales jump out of the water."

Several riding groups, under the umbrella of the South East Equestrian Club, were evicted from the headland to make way for the former Labor government's plans to transform the partially contaminated area into a national park and public open space.

The move was denounced by then-opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt as a "relentless and unsurpassed attempt to take away a local community group's rights".

"We will return the riders to Malabar within six months, if elected," Mr Hunt said in 2012.

But like Labor's ambitions – which stalled when the NSW Rifle Association successfully fought its eviction – that deadline had come and gone.

As reported by Fairfax Media, the Abbott government, in the meantime, appointed consultants Nation Partners to advise it on the headland's strategic potential. In a since-deleted statement about its role, the company's website said an initial business case had "identified and evaluated development scenarios".

Cecil Park or Holsworthy have also been put forward by Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm as two potential relocation sites for the rifle range in his talks with Special Minister of State Michael Ronaldson and Finance Minister Mathias Cormann.

But the government said no decision had been made about the long-term future of the headland, an area that still faces contamination and remediation issues due to its previous use as landfill.

A spokesman for Special Minister of State Michael Ronaldson said it remained committed to returning the riders to the headland "as soon as possible".

"A site at the west end of the headland has been tentatively selected pending works to mitigate work, health and safety risks," the spokesman said.

"The government needs to be satisfied that any future use does not expose people to risks from, for example, contamination and subsidence."

Ms Wright, the equestrian club's spokeswoman, said it had been given a $110,000 grant to replace facilities that were demolished and a commitment of a 30-year lease once it was allowed back on the headland.

She would like to see the whole area opened up as a sport and recreation camp, a public use that could co-exist with the horses.

"So close to the city, it would be an amazing facility for Sydney to have," Ms Wright said. "That would be fantastic for everybody."