"This is subject to any directions received from Commonwealth and State Governments. Council is aware of the impact of Coronavirus Outbreak," he said.

Responding to queries made by residents at Sunday's meeting, Mr Bhalla said the City to River masterplan addressed the criteria or four goals councillors endorsed in the 2019-2023 Council Plan.

He said geotechnical assessments/tests would be carried out as part of the conecept schematic plan developement to determine what structures were appropriate for the Wimmera riverfront.

Tuesday: Horsham Rural Ratepayers and Residents group has called on Horsham Rural City Council to suspend all spending relating to the City to River master plan until the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak have passed.

At a meeting at Horsham Football Club on Sunday, ratepayers discussed their concerns with the plan.

It comes as the council prepares to establish a community reference group for one aspect of the 20-year masterplan, which focuses on developing the Wimmera Riverfront.

In a statement following the meeting, HRRR president Di Bell said the group wanted the council to "instead turn its focus to working immediately on plans to support our community's health and wellbeing, and support of businesses and other areas affected".

Several attendees questioned whether infrastructure suggested for the area would be possible, given a waste facility once occupied the site of the Sawyer Park miniature Railway.

Wimmera Live Steam and Model Engineering Society president David McDonald said: "There are areas of the miniature railway that used to be clay pits and before that a tip - they have been filled in and capped - and there are areas that aren't filled in which there used to be houses on.

"I would like to see the plan paused until after the council election (in October 2020), so we can have some councillors come in and start listening to what the community wants to have happen.

"We had hardly been consulted until after the draft master plan came out last year. The council keeps giving us grants, it recently gave us grants for fencing and a track extension, so if they have had a plan for us not to be there eventually, why would they give us grants?"

Horsham Rural City councillor John Robinson, who attended the meeting, said he had not heard a tip in the area referenced during councillor discussions on the masterplan in 2019.

The Mail-Times has contacted Horsham Rural City Council for comment.

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