Councillors have agreed to endorse the draft Municipal Strategic Statement, which has been a work in progress for the past nine months. Sections of the MSS relate to attracting more retail on the Western Highway, therefore creating growth opportunities for Stawell.

It was agreed at council's latest meeting that officers be directed to commence work on implementing the Municipal Strategic Statement into the wider Northern Grampians Planning Scheme.

Cr Wayne Rice said he believed the Municipal Strategic Statement, which does contain recommendations for shifting some of the retail focus onto the Western Highway, is a critically important document.

"It is critically important particularly for anyone considering moving into our shire," Cr Rice said.

"You can look at this document and you can see where our rural zones are, our residential zones, recreational zones and industrial zones and get an understanding for that.

"It is critical that this document read in such a way that it is seen to be a document that shows we want to be a friendly shire and we want to encourage as much development and economic benefits to the shire as possibly can."

Cr Rice said it was no secret the Northern Grampians Shire had long been recognised as being unsustainable in the future.

"That's not through bad management, but we have a large land base, very small population base and we need to do something about it.

"One way to do that is to encourage as much population in to the shire as we possibly can and to encourage businesses to come here.

"What we have to do is produce documents that show to people that we are very keen to see development take place, with as minimal number of restrictions as we possibly can.

"Make it as simple as you possibly can for people and people will come.

"There is an old cliche that if you build it, they will come. Well if we build the correct document, build the correct foundations, then I believe we will have people coming to us to try and establish in our shire and we have to make that as easy as we possibly can, not as hard as we possibly can."

Cr Kevin Erwin was not convinced with the sections of the Municipal Strategic Statement that related to creating a stronger retail focus on the Western Highway and voted against the motion.

"I still think this document needs some work," he said.

"My main beef is about trying to encourage retail on the Western Highway. I think we are a small retail district in Stawell and to split it, I don't think has any advantages to anyone.

"I certainly want to encourage business, but I think it does need a little more work and I would like to see this deferred for a bit more discussion."

Mayor, Cr Murray Emerson, said he could see both sides of the argument, but voted in favour of the motion.

"I'm sitting on the fence a bit here, because I support Cr Rice's motion, but I also support Cr Erwin's concerns about our central business district in Stawell coming under some pressure if we open up the Stawell West area to local business," Cr Emerson said.

"I do think that if this motion gets passed today we can certainly carry on and make sure we look further at the Municipal Strategic Statement as time goes on.

"The Municipal Statement is a guide for councillors to work to carry out their business and for our staff and I think along the way, if it's not working out the way we hoped it would, I'm sure we would be able to change it.

"Infact every four years the Municipal Statement must be looked at and things that might be a little controversial or not working the way we would expect them to be, they could be changed."