Gannawarra Shire Council received close to 400 submissions regarding Kerang District Health’s proposal to rezone the parkland, located behind the Burgoyne Street facility.

The number of submissions received is the largest figure for a single council item since the 2005 debate to approve the installation of poker machines in Kerang.

The shire sought public input regarding the Amendment C26 application in September, which also recommends changing the current status of the hospital facility and adjoining W.D. Thomas Day Care Centre from Public Use Zone 2 – Education to Public Use Zone 3 – Health and Community.

The majority of the responses received referred to the transitional living site, with varied opinions expressed.

Initially proposed in 2005, half of the buildings within the 18-unit facility will include two bedrooms, with the remainder of the project featuring one-bedroom accommodation.

Each unit will incorporate undercover parking, whilst the facility will include communal buildings and landscaped gardens.

Councillors will discuss the submissions at the February 15 council meeting at Kerang, with options available including referring all correspondence to an independent panel which would be appointed by Minister for Planning Matthew Guy, or to abandon the amendment altogether.

Kerang District Health board members were recently notified about the options available to the council.

“It will be interesting to see what decision will be made by council,” the health service’s board president, Trevor Adams said.

“What we are not privy to is how many of the submissions are for the proposal, and how many submissions are against the proposal.

“We do not know if all of the submissions are actual submissions or signatures on a sheet of paper.”

It is predicted councillors will request Mr Guy to form a panel that will consider all submissions and hear from people willing to speak about their applications.