Councillors are told in a report to their meeting this Wednesday the application to explore land at Baynton, Baynton East and Sidonia has been lodged with Earth Resources Regulation.

The shire has already made a submission on the application, councillors are told, because of the short timeline for feedback.

The response is not an outright objection, but does highlight several areas of concern to the shire.

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In their submission, shire staff told ERR they have concerns about the region's landscape, potential loss of high quality agricultural land, Aboriginal cultural heritage and environmental considerations.

"Council strongly recommends that any exploration activities be very mindful of the area's significant landscapes and views which should not be impacted upon in the exploration licence area," the shire wrote in its submission.

At their meeting councillors will also discuss plans for the Woodend community centre.

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