While City of Ballarat officers recommended the adoption of the proposal, which has been in development for 19 months, councillors voted unanimously to put off enshrining the plan until the new year. 

Miners Rest residents packed council chambers on Wednesday night, with the plan deferred before any spoke on the issue.

Elements of the plan which had proved problematic include flood mitigation strategies, the boundaries of the equine precinct and airport noise modelling.

READ MORE Miners Rest saleyards under scrutiny from EPA following numerous complaints from residents about smells

Councillor Grant Tillett, who called for the plan to be deferred, said a working group should be created to identify the issues in Miners Rest and set out goals, before the city’s planner “weave it into a report”. 

“My belief is the jigsaw pieces are on table, they’re just not quite sorted out yet,” he said. 

Cr Tillett said the “important but contentious plan” could end up in front of a panel if it was approved. 

The plan has been in the works since early 2017. 

Councillor Daniel Moloney said it was better to wait a few months until they have information about the placement of the expanded Miners Rest Primary School, which was promised $17.1 million by the state government earlier this year.

“There’s a bit of frustration we can’t adopt something … but the location of the primary school, in its current site or different site yet to be identified, is a key piece of the puzzle and has flow on effects to where a recreation reserve would go,” he said. 

The Burrumbeet and Cardigan Village Townships Plans were completed and adopted by council in October.