Mayor defends Midlands underpass

THE Campbell Town pedestrian underpass will go ahead despite recent backlash, Northern Midlands Mayor Mary Knowles says.

Ms Knowles said there had been extensive community consultation, including meetings, where the public had the chance to have a say.

“The project was led by the community and wanted by the community, and the protests have now come about the cost,” she said.

The underpass is costing $6m, with $4.8m from the federal government and $1.2m from the state government.

“There is this misunderstanding that if the money isn’t spent on the project it can go on something else in the area, that’s not how it works,” she said.