“I was born and raised in Inverell, and (am) very conscious about making sure our town grows and thrives, and I certainly wouldn’t be doing anything that I think would send our town backwards,” he said.

Starting with Otho Street on January 29, the first stage of the plan includes the removal of the raised crossing near the Inverell Motel, staged removal of the street’s plane trees and the construction of a median strip. 

An ongoing Inverell Times poll has indicated widespread disapproval from the community, with 78.24 per cent of 340 respondents stating that they disagree with the revamp (as of 25/01/18). A group of business owners voiced their vehement opposition last week in a last ditch effort to halt construction. Locals have also begun planning a protest rally on January 27.

Many lamented the removal of the plane trees, which they felt added character, shade and beauty to the streetscape. Cr Harmon said structural damage due to inappropriate planting meant the trees had to go. He said the council was not wasting money, and were avoiding constant patch up jobs in the future.

“They were planted against expert advice in concrete pipes with the thought that the roots would go down, which has actually made the problem worse,” he said. He said the four-metre-tall pin oaks to be planted in the median strip were already established, and would provide an even better shade canopy.

Residents also expressed safety concerns on the median strip, citing less room for drivers to park, added obstructions and a claustrophobic aesthetic. Cr Harmon maintained the median, which will not be raised, would improve safety.

He said that consultants had observed the road during early development stages and discovered many locals did not use the crossings, and ‘dashed’ to the centre of the road, waiting for traffic to pass while standing on a “thin white line”. He said the strip would create a safer, shared zone for pedestrians and drivers.

Cr Harmon acknowledged that the long construction period would inconvenience shopkeepers, but felt the result would be well worth it. 

“If people only shop at a store because they can get a park in front of it, I find that hard to believe. I think people, they shop in a store because of the product and the customer service and the shopping experience, not just because they can get a park out the front,” he said.

“I know it’s convenient. I’m not trying to sound flippant about that, but it’s about the shopping experience.”

He said council staff would work 12 hour days and weekends to ensure the revamp was finished within a 15 week period. Traffic will be closed in the northern lane for approximately 12 weeks, with parallel parking on the southern side throughout. 

Cr Harmon said that if crews had closed sections of carparks in stages, the work would take twice as long.

He said consultation with the Inverell Chamber of Commerce had indicated that February would be “the most convenient time for there to be an inconvenience,” due to a seasonal slow down for retailers.

Cr Harmon felt that, having been clear on his intentions to support the renewal plan during the 2016 election, along with a number of current councillors; the community had accepted “that it needs to happen”.

“Council listens to all members of the community,” he said. 

“You have to actually balance the thoughts and the disagreement or agreement of some ratepayers against those of other ratepayers, and then also what is in the long term best interest for the whole community.”

He said it was too late for protesters to stop the process, with the first committee meeting on February 8.

“This was voted on in council back in October or November, and the planning process has gone through then. So to actually go ‘stop now,’ there has to be a resolution of council to say to hold those works, and council doesn’t meet until well after that (construction) date,” he said.

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