About “half a dozen or so” entries were submitted to the project advisory panel, with Swinburne University of Technology coming away as the successful applicant.

The university proposed a collaborative project between its Master of Design students, council and the community to co-design the centrepiece for the roundabout.

“We looked at a lot of options, most of which were very strong submissions, but in our wisdom, we’ve gone with Swinburne’s Master of Design students to see what they have to say about it, along with the community,” Cr Murray Emerson said.

“We’ve gone through a lengthy process for direction with this project and we’re looking forward to moving to the next stage of that process now.”

However the decision has caused some in the community to question how and why the university was selected.

Stawell artist and gallery owner Peter Voice submitted a proposal to council for the project.

He said the “goalposts of the application process” were moved when applications were being accepted, making the process “unfair”.

“There were strict guidelines and timelines applicants had to follow that council set which to my understanding the successful application has not abided by,” he said.

“They have given the project to a group that does not even have a design.

“How can a budget or any safety issues be addressed without even having a design yet.”

Mr Voice said there are artists in the region he believes would have been able to successfully complete the project.

Comments from community members on the Northern Grampians Shire Facebook page also indicate support for a local artist to have completed the project.

Former Horsham Art Gallery director Merle Hathaway has spent many years in the art industry and said she can’t remember a time when a public project such as this had been allocated to university students. 

“Public artworks are great and it is often the case artists are commissioned from out of town but I have never heard of a country project being allocated to students from Melbourne before,” she said.

“Sculptures are big investments so you need to make sure you get them right, and I’m not sure going with students is the best choice.”

While you’re with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox each Friday morning from the Stawell Times-News. To make sure you’re up-to-date with all the news from across the Northern Grampians shire, sign up here.