More than four months after councillors and a special panel gave the green light to a controversial plan for rezoning a 72-hectare parcel of farm land off Horne Road the site is yet to get government approval.

Mayor Jacinta Ermacora told The Standard this week she understood negotiations were close to being finalised.

“It will be able to be sent to the government for gazettal as soon as we reach agreement with the landowners on drainage and cost apportionment,” Cr Ermacora said.

“Then our funding applications to the Department of Transport and Regional Development Victoria will be able to be processed.

“We need $6 million from the government to upgrade Horne Road to handle heavy transport.

“Our council has put $1m in this year’s budget for the works and a contribution will come from developers.

“This roadwork must be done before the land can be developed with internal roads, drainage and other components.”

Cr Ermacora said yesterday the development was vital to create new jobs and meet a pent-up demand for new industrial sites.

“It will create opportunities for existing local industries to expand and for new enterprises to access appropriate land to establish an operation,” she said.

“A significant number of jobs will be created in the construction phase and later in new industrial ventures.” The issue has be plagued by controversy since the former Labor government under former planning minister Justin Madden deemed the shortage of industrial land for Warrnambool and Moyne Shire a priority.

A fast-track selection process backfired when Mr Madden was embroiled in conflict of interest allegations linking him with a family relative involved in the east Warrnambool land.

It was then put back into a normal council selection and approval process which put the council at loggerheads with local residents.

pcollins@standard.fa irfax.com.au