AN ELEVENTH hour attempt to save a much-loved avenue of trees before their removal to make way for the Anderson Street underpass has been met with little assurances from Inland Rail.
A group of Euroa locals has slammed the 'secrecy' used by Inland Rail about the upcoming tree removal and are asking how many trees will be preserved.
The nine 80-year-old London plane trees and two elm trees lining Anderson Street have been earmarked for possible removal as part of the rebuilding of Euroa's railway precinct, to make space for traffic slipways.
Euroa resident Shirley Saywell said she is 'outraged' at last-minute announcements to remove trees and said plans for their felling were contrary to Inland Rail's environment hierarchy policy.
Ms Saywell met on Friday with twelve locals - including five residents who live on that section of Anderson Street - and said a resolution could be achieved by construction company John Holland.
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"There will be no change in traffic numbers between before and after the construction," Ms Saywell said.
"If we all stand in the middle of the road, it is clear that there is oodles of room for what needs constructing and to keep the trees as well.
"Clever engineering could find a solution that included the trees."
Carole and Don Santin moved into the street several months ago after 'falling in love' with the area.
"We knew it was going to happen (the new precinct) but we didn't know about the trees," Mrs Santin said.
"But we took a risk because we love the trees and we want to keep them.
"We have not been informed whether they are going or not going, except by rumour.
"When you talk to (Inland Rail) they usually don't mention the trees."
Activist and academic Kate Auty said there was more than the aesthetic value of the plane trees at stake and that Inland Rail had not acted responsibly.
"We don’t think it is necessary to remove the trees and there has not been sufficient community consultation," Professor Auty said.
"It’s not good practice, they know it’s not good practice."
Prof Auty is a member of Euroa Connect and local environmental enterprise Euroa Energy, and is director of the Urban Climate Change Research Network Oceana Hub, and is a former magistrate.
"The trees are an introduced species, obviously," Prof Auty said.
"But we know from the science that those sorts of trees reduce temperature in the local area, responding to what we call an urban heat island.
"We will also lose the habitat of wildlife and insects."
Prof Auty said the recent saving of a Moreton Bay fig tree in Brock Street was testament to holding Inland Rail's decisions to account.
"When you look at why that Moreton Bay fig needed to go in the first place, you saw it was crazy," she said.
"It was just going to be in the way and when asked why or how it would be in the way, suddenly it was no longer needed for removal.
"They just seem to have their chainsaws at the ready."
Other residents also slammed what they said was 'secrecy' around the trees' removal.
Nick Sayers said there had not been enough communication.
"We first found out when the second round of public presentations of the design came out," Mr Sayers said.
"And ever since then, I have been arguing with them."
Arna Bartlett also lives beside the trees and said she believed only the trees on the right hand side would be removed.
"Initially they said the trees on the left side going toward the bridge would be staying," Ms Bartlett said.
"The right would be part of the slipway which would then be 're-bushed'."
Ms Saywell said that 100 trees were earmarked throughout Euroa for removal to accommodate the new precinct's construction.
"Do you know which hundred are coming out?" she said.
"Nobody does; why is that a secret and the community not being engaged with?"
"If a neighbour on this very street does not know they are coming out, then what does that tell us?
"They will say they have done community engagement, but they haven't."
A spokesperson for Inland Rail answered questions from The Euroa Gazette and said the potential removal of the trees had been shared with the community in 2021 and 2024 through public exhibiting of the project's environment report.
“The need for removal was specifically confirmed when we shared the latest designs in November 2024," the spokesperson said.
“Inland Rail makes every effort to...avoid and then to minimise any impacts to vegetation.
“When the project design reaches a sufficient level of detail, which is just before construction, the construction methodology is finalised and impact to individual trees is reviewed.
“During this step we work with the engineers, construction team, asset owners (Council, DTP, Vic Track), and arborists to individually assess each tree, to first see if impact can be avoided, then minimised, before we determine if removal is required.”
“Due to the spatial constraints associated with construction of a vehicle underpass, tree loss on Anderson Street is unavoidable.”
In November 2024 Inland Rail conducted a door knock and letter drop to inform the residents on Anderson Street directly impacted by the tree removal.
The Euroa Gazette reported on the new service roads and associated impacts - including tree removal - from the visualisations shared then.
“Euroa Connect was briefed on Monday, 11 November on the updated design and visualisations that demonstrated the tree removal and was informed of that required tree removal on Anderson Street.“
Ms Saywell said she had written to the Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny to seek 'urgent' intervention in the matter as part of an upcoming department review of the project.
The minister's office was contacted by The Euroa Gazette for comment.
