Representatives from Neoen outlined that in a "first" $200,000 to $300,000 was being provided for those nearby the proposed 400 Megawatt development at Culcairn.

But deputy mayor Doug Meyer sought a break down of the pool of money, and it was clarified that $15,000 was being offered to neighbours and anything left from the $300,000 pool would be folded into the community fund.

"That's not much for [a development spanning] 30 years," Cr Meyer said.

The meeting to decide council's submission heard the closest dwelling to the Culcairn Solar Farm was just 120 metres, but Neoen's head of development Australia Garth Heron said only 16 per cent of the 1,317 hectares would go under panels.

Asked by Councillor Knight if there were any inaccuracies raised by speakers, Mr Heron said the biggest one was the project would result in an economic downturn.

"I've only ever seen an uplift in the economies of the areas I go into when we build a new project," he said.

Former Holbrook coach Peter Copley was among those speaking in favour of the project and said he did so on his own accord, without being asked by Neoen.

With Watters Electrical, Mr Copley worked on Neoen's Numurkah project and said of 100 staff working on it, 15 were apprentices who all stayed on with the company.

"The cafe [at Wunghnu] had nothing before the farm started," he said.

Environment and planning director Colin Kane raised a number of concerns in his draft submission to the project, which had to be lodged by close of business Thursday.

But Cr Tony Quinn disputed a number of his inclusions, saying that it would give Neoen a "free kick" because the developer would so easily dispute those points.

"I think our comments on agriculture and economics are pathetic," he said.

Cr Quinn's first motion to lodge his preferred conditions of approval for the project - that vegetative screening be well-established, a fire unit be manned on site from December to March, and a weed control plan be signed off by two agronomists - was lost.

Cr Meyer said there were "a lot" of issues in Neoen's environmental impact statement, but conceded that a submission had to be made.

After 90 minutes of speakers and debate, the draft submission prepared by Mr Kane with the inclusion of Cr Quinn's conditions was passed.

Greater Hume mayor Heather Wilton put her support behind proposed solar in her shire, but voted for a submission objecting to the Culcairn project in order to break the hour-long stalement.

The motion that council object in its submission to the state government was stalled at four-all after Cr Terry Weston, who was intending to support council's objection, missed his vote.

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Cr Wilton had the casting vote and although she did not want to object to the Culcairn Solar Farm, allowed the motion to pass so that approval would go to an independent commission.

"I haven't done that lightly, but it's an opportunity for people to have their say," she said.

"There are a lot of people who are concerned about it, and I understand and accept their view, as long as they're willing to accept my view ... it's been very divisive."

Council lodging an objection means the Culcairn project will join the Walla and Jindera solar farms in being decided by an Independent Planning Commission in the near future.