Plans for a March Muswellbrook Shire Council meeting on the issue have been pushed back as discussions continue between the chemical company, the council and particularly the Roads and Maritime Service.

The council is also waiting on other government agencies to submit comment on the plans, which could delay the decision beyond April.

Council’s development committee recommended several changes to the Orica proposal, including that the transport of ammonium nitrate on large trucks be moved from Thomas Mitchell Drive to the Golden Highway.

The development committee is made up of representatives of the Muswellbrook police, the Roads and Maritime Service and the council.

“There were more representatives at the meeting than usual,” councillor Christine Phelps said.

“Because it is such a concerning proposal, particularly the traffic issues, additional decision makers attended the meeting to make sure we looked at every contingency.”

Cr Phelps said that police were concerned at the proposed route.

At Monday’s council meeting she asked that the council vote on the committee’s recommendations.

Muswellbrook Shire mayor Martin Rush said a vote would be premature and that the decision on Orica should be made at an April meeting dedicated to the issue when all the information was available.

Among the many documents the council will consider at that meeting will be the 30 public submissions and Orica’s 560-page development application.