The candidate is yet to be publicly announced, due to legal and confidential processes that must now take place.
It includes due diligence with the preferred respondent, identified through an evaluation process.
“Council acknowledges the significant community interest in the future operation of the Medical Centre, but emphasises that it is unable to disclose the identity of the preferred respondent at this stage,” council said in a press release.
“Negotiations and due diligence are continuing and remain subject to commercial, legal, privacy and governance obligations.
“Information regarding the future operator will be released once negotiations have been completed and any necessary agreements have been finalised.”
Council called a confidential committee extraordinary meeting on Monday night to consider the feedback from the expressions of interest assessment panel.
The successful applicant will replace Ochre Health as the operator of the council owned facility.
The process was launched when, in July this year, council voted to terminate Ochre Health’s lease of the facility more than a year early.
The lease was due for review and potential renewal in October 2027.
Council said the EOI process forms part of council's “broader commitment to improving healthcare access across the Edward River region and aligns with the priorities identified in Council's Advocacy Plan 2026-2029, including attracting and retaining doctors and allied health professionals, strengthening healthcare workforce sustainability and improving access to essential healthcare services”.
The EOI process attracted four strong submissions, including from current Ochre Health employed doctor Ian Carey under the business name Rivergum Health Hub and long-standing Deni doctor Robert Campbell under the company name RJ Campbell Pty Ltd.
Former Deni Medical Centre doctor Nishan Silva and his Quantam colleagues - who already manage the Barham medical centre - made a bid under the name GP Super Clinic Pty Ltd, and the fourth came from Finley Regional Care which runs the Finley and Berrigan medical centres and Berrigan Shire-based aged care facilities.
Mayor Ashley Hall said the outcome of the assessment was a positive milestone and demonstrated the process was progressing as planned.
"We're pleased to have reached this stage and are looking forward to moving into negotiations with a preferred operator," Cr Hall said.
"There is still work to do, but we're very optimistic about the future of the Medical Centre and look forward to sharing more with our community as soon as we can."
Council said the evaluation was undertaken by independent healthcare and procurement professionals with extensive experience in rural and regional healthcare service delivery.
Council CEO Jack Bond said the strong response to the EOI process was encouraging.
“Receiving four quality submissions is a great result and reflects the value of this facility and the opportunities it presents,” Mr Bond said.
“Our focus is now on completing negotiations and due diligence to ensure any future arrangement supports long-term healthcare outcomes for our community.”
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