The mayors from Horsham Rural City Council, Hindmarsh, Yarriambiack, West Wimmera, Northern Grampians and Buloke will meet digitally with the health minister on Thursday.

A proposed health service merger between Wimmera Health Care Group and Ballarat Health Service a key topic of conversation.

Horsham Rural City Council mayor Robyn Gulline said the mayors had sought a conference with Mr Foley several times before, which had to be proposed due to the minister's COVID-19 responsibilities.

"We are all really concerned about our community and we are the chief advocates," Cr Gulline said.

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"Whatever is important to our community is what we are charged with prosecuting the case for.

"The people who I have spoken to, who have come up to me regularly and email me, obviously they want more access to doctors and services delivered locally."

Cr Gulline said she believed a merger would not address the issues facing the provision of services in the Wimmera.

"I have been delighted to hear how COVID has enhanced the partnerships and collaboration between the different health partnerships in the region," Cr Gulline said.

"I really encourage that, but they are all running deficit budgets - that is not going to be fixed by a merger, that is a conversation we need to have with the minister.

"Horsham has massive capital works requirements, again that is not going to be resolved by a merger.

"This service provision, again I dont think a merger is the solution. We need to be creative and think outside of the square and come up with a unique Wimmera Southern Mallee place-based solution as we are renowned for doing."

Horsham Rural City Council has publicly opposed any proposed merger between Wimmera's health services and Ballarat Health Service, opting instead for a strengthened Wimmera Southern Mallee health alliance.

Cr Gulline said she had met with board members of Wimmera Health Care Group to discuss the proposals.

"I have met with the CEO of WHCG a couple of times, I have met with the chair and some of the board members," Cr Gulline said.

"We are all on the same page, we want better services, but I just have a different interpretation of the feedback they have received from the community and what it will mean for our region.

"Ultimately we want the same outcome, we just have different perspectives on the way forward.

"I just can't see for the life of me the problem they are trying to solve with the merger, because for me the merger will not solve any of the problems that they've identified.

"I think we need to have a different conversation than the one that has been happening."

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