Council staff and councillors met Mr Donnellan last week to discuss concerns about routes B2 and D, the subjectivity of bypass reports, report errors, and other routes not being considered.

Council supports a bypass, but formally rejected B2 and D – put forward as part of the planning scheme amendment process to reserve bypass land – at a meeting last month.

VicRoads’ preference is option D. Both options bypass the city to the north-east, but take different routes around Horsham Aerodrome.

Bypass panel hearings – where people who made submissions to VicRoads will have a chance to speak to an independent panel – will start in Horsham this month.

Cr David Grimble said council had a good hearing with the minister.

“We had his attention for a bit over half an hour,” he said.

“We are looking for further work to be done so we can ensure we have the right bypass alignment.

“If anything, he will follow the panel process with interest and understand where council is coming from.”

Cr Grimble said although option D was better than B2, it still posed issues if the aerodrome was extended to the south. “The business plan for there talks about runway lengths to 2000 metres to the south, which won’t work,” he said.

“The other thing is that option D still doesn't address floodplain issues, which is an issue coming loud and clear from our community.

“What they should have done is give us an indicative design of a structure that would cope with a one-in-200-year flood.

“Council’s bypass submission is very much in synergy with the community submissions I have seen.”

Cr Grimble said links to other highways was also a concern with both options.

“Both routes are problematic and miss a number of key elements,” he said.

Bypass panel hearings will start on October 19 and run for a week.

There will be a further three sessions in early November.

Council, One Horsham Bypass Group, Horsham Flying Club, and the Victorian Farmers Federation will be among the groups to speak at the hearings.