Inland Rail has maintained its works on the Frost Street underpass despite the thoroughfare coming under Senate scrutiny on Wednesday 8 October.
In response to a question from Senator Bridget McKenzie about social implications for residents living in the northwestern corner of Euroa who use the underpass, including loss of land value, a spokesperson for Inland Rail told The Euroa Gazette that no social impact or land value assessment was required.
"Inland Rail is delivering two improved Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliant underpasses at Euroa," the spokesperson said.
“Inland Rail proposed two options for the Frost Street pedestrian underpass to the Strathbogie Council, and the council accepted the option to remove the Frost Street underpass.”
Council approved the request from Inland Rail to remove the renewal and upgrade of Frost Street Euroa underpass from the project on Tuesday, 17 June and replace it with flood overlay infrastructure after community protests over the removal of a large gum tree that was necessary for the underpass upgrade.
Council also accepted a contribution of $350,000 from Inland Rail into council's capital works program for allocation to future identified projects.
In response to Senator McKenzie telling Inland Rail interim CEO Mike Zambelli that the process of closing the underpass, opening it temporarily and then closing it again 'did not make sense', Inland Rail's spokesperson said the underpass was not being upgraded for the temporary reopening.
"A new drainage culvert is being installed, which will be temporarily modified to provide pedestrian cross corridor connectivity during construction," they said.
"This is only a temporary solution and is not DDA (Disability Discrimination Act 1992)-compliant.”