THE Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal will decide whether a plan to house Stanley's post office in its disused primary school will proceed.
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Indigo Shire Council has approved the relocation of the post office from a shipping container to the school, which has not been used for classes since 2012.
However, the owner of the former Stanley post office building, Neil Higgins, has objected to the approval and had his appeal listed before the VCAT for February 29 in Melbourne.
He said his concerns centre on the actions of Stanley Rural Community Incorporated, the organisation administering the Stanley post office.
Mr Higgins said he believed Stanley Rural Community had failed to follow correct planning regulations.
"It's a rural zone and they have been asked to provide a change of use application and I don't believe they have addressed heritage aspects of planning laws and they haven't addressed rezoning issues," Mr Higgins said.
Stanley Rural Community president Ed Tyrie declined to comment on specific planning issues before the hearing, but he noted Mr Higgins had been the only objector and he believes the majority of the town supports the post office being run from the school.
"It's frustrating, but nevertheless he has that right by the law," Mr Tyrie said.
Mr Tyrie said without the VCAT appeal, the post office would now be operating at the school.
He said the community group had entered a one-year lease with the Education Department.
It involved a peppercorn rent and Stanley Rural Community covering utilities costs and being responsible for maintenance matters such as mowing.
Mr Tyrie said the post office's opening hours would remain the same at the school as at the shipping container - four hours on weekdays and 9am to 11am on Saturdays and Sundays.
Mr Higgins continues to own the former post office building and has attempted to sell it without success.
Stanley Rural Community moved to take over the postal services in 2010 after being frustrated at a full service not being provided to the town.
Mr Higgins said he had since offered to have the post office rehoused in his building, which also once contained a cafe.
