In response to a question submitted to Monday night's council meeting from former councillor and businessman John Mahony, council chief executive Mark Dixon provided a blow-by-blow account of how the Dan Murphy's plan was communicated inside council.

It was revealed councillors, with exception of the mayor, weren't provided with a full briefing on the plans until after being reported in The Border Mail in late July.

Cr Libby Hall aired her concerns about councillors being kept in the dark on the plans on Monday night.

According to Mr Dixon, Development Victoria first informed him and Cr Poulton of a potential new development partner in Junction Place in a face-to-face meeting in mid-February this year.

"At that stage no detail was shared by DV," Mr Dixon said.

"Also at this time and over subsequent months council planning staff provided technical planning support to Development Victoria and the developers of Junction Place looking at multiple options for the revision of the master plan."

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Once Mr Dixon became aware of the Dan Murphy's proposal he updated the mayor a "few weeks" before the application was submitted.

Discussions about the site were "acknowledged" and the potential for a new commercial precinct in Junction Place were raised in a councillor briefing session on July 12.

But Dan Murphy's identity was still not identified and a planning application lodged later in month.

Councillors weren't fully briefed until August 2.

Mr Mahony said the community was entitled to know the chain of events which led to such a major change in Junction Place, a precinct which had its origins when he was on council.

"There are six licensed facilities within 500 metres at present, two pubs, two supermarkets, one restaurant, one cafe," he said.

"To date more than 2700 people have registered their objection to the establishment of another licensed facility.

"People are entitled to know how it has all got to this point."

In May this year, Development Victoria confirmed tweaks to the Junction Place master plan were afoot without spelling out approved cinema plans for the corner of Elgin Boulevard and Smythe Street were about to be canned.

Development Victoria community consultation sessions begin on Wednesday night in response to community angst.

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