Objector's concerns heighten about Warrnambool's The Lookout as opposition announces plan for extra beds

Murray Kingsley, who lives near the proposed site in Atkinsons Lane in Dennington, said his concerns had increased after the state opposition said it would fund a 30-bed facility if elected in November.

The original proposal was for a 20-bed facility at the Dennington site.

Mr Kingsley said he and other community members were not opposed to the project - in fact they supported it and believed a facility was needed in the region.

However, they believe the site is too small for the proposed facility.

"We believe the site is massively substandard," Mr Kingsley said.

"We're concerned we will have a lot of people there who are disenchanted who can't get out and do a whole lot of things because there is no shelter and it's too small.

"To put more people there - when the site is too small - is ridiculous. If you put people in a substandard environment, the program will suffer."

Western Region Alcohol and Drug centre director Geoff Soma said the Department of Health was familiar with the Atkinsons Lane site, which is located on more than eight acres.

"The land has been assessed as being more than adequate to accommodate the proposed Lookout residential rehabilitation centre," Mr Soma said.

"There are examples of residential rehabilitation centres in other countries that are located in high-rise buildings without any land.

"The 20-bed residential rehabilitation centre in Ballarat that has been operating for over four years is located on a relatively small parcel of land in a densely populated residential area."

Mr Soma said all planning matters would be addressed when the project began.

"The government are rolling out state-of-the-art 30-bed residential rehabilitation centres based on the alcohol and other drug residential rehabilitation design guidelines for people to engage in effective treatment," he said.

State opposition leader Matthew Guy was in Warrnambool on Tuesday to announce a $36 million funding promise for The Lookout.

It will fund at 30-bed facility if elected in November.

The project was given the green light by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal in 2020.

Community members had raised concerns about safety, noise and the site size at a hearing into the proposal.

A VCAT panel report said it acknowledged there would be different opinions about what represented a net community benefit.

"We consider that on balance, there is such a benefit in approving a residential alcohol and drug rehabilitation centre on the review site," the report said.

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