Berrigan Shire this week posted its blueprint to alter the hall and adjacent school of arts building which sit on Finley’s main street opposite the town’s war memorial.

The project involves demolishing the foyer and annex between the halls, removing toilet blocks and kitchen alterations.

The development application follows the council agreeing in April last year to the $380,000 plan then known as “Option 3”.

Council general manager Rowan Perkins said the lapse between that decision and the lodging of the application was due to “other matters” occupying shire staff.

He said nothing significant beyond colour schemes had changed from the proposal put to council last year.

The fate of the Finley hall has been contentious since 2016 when a proposal to demolish the structure was considered and halted by the council.

The Save the Finley War Memorial Association has opposed the council’s actions and its president Patricia Boyd said an objection would be lodged in relation to the development application.

“They’re absolutely appalling (plans) and we will be fighting it all the way and encouraging everyone to lodge objections,” Mrs Boyd said.

“It’s not what we want, it removes all the features of the war memorial hall and leaves the war memorial hall nothing.

“I want to see both halls done up and all new toilets at the back and a new memorial gallery with portraits of 17 deceased soldiers up on the wall.”

Mr Perkins said objections would be taken until August 22 with a final decision possibly ready to be put on the agenda at the September council meeting.

He was initially circumspect when asked how much resistance he expected to the proposal.

“I don’t know, time will tell I guess,” Mr Perkins said.

“There’s only a very low level of opposition, quite loud but low.”