Land Management Services director Bruce Mitchell confirmed he had withdrawn the application from the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal on behalf of an individual developer on Monday.

Mr Mitchell said the application had been withdrawn because of considerations regarding the Indigenous heritage of the site.

He said he believed an alternative site would now be sought.

The Buloke Shire council approved the application in May last year, but the project had been stalled in VCAT due to objections from Charlton Tourism Inc and local land-owners and traditional owners.

Before the application was withdrawn, Charlton Tourism had been arguing against the proposal on the grounds of its Indigenous cultural heritage, environmental value and eco-tourism potential.

Yung Balug clan elder Gary Murray cautiously welcomed the news, saying he was open to the farm operating at another location, but stressed the need for community engagement in the future.

“The important thing is for the developer and the shire to sit down with the Dja Dja Wurrung clan group and all the other people that are protesting and be reasonable about it and have a frank discussion about how we can resolve it because at the moment we’re heading for litigation again,” he said.

“I think we can work together on this, we’ve just got to sit down and map it out rather than going our separate ways.”

Charlton Tourism chairman Kevin O’Dea said he would also welcome the broiler farm if a more suitable location could be found within the shire, but would continue to fight the development if not.

“In an appropriate area, not a problem, it’d be fantastic,” he said.

“[But] nobody’s going to roll over and let it all happen unless it’s done properly.

“As long as they don’t pick that site, Mount Buckrabanyule, it’s a fairly unique site, and I think it’s 400,000 chooks and that’s a lot of poo every day and that’d be there for 20 or 30 years.”

Buloke Shire mayor Reid Mather defended the council’s consultation process, saying Mr Murray and Mr O’Dea were welcome to participate in the submissions process for any future application.

“We’ve followed all due process that we’re required to do,” he said.

“There was a submissions process, we received all submissions and if their submissions weren’t part of that then it’s not council’s responsibility to go and try to find somebody who might have an objection to it, so I think some of those comments are a bit unfair.”