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Home>Council Documents>Reports>Progressing Euroa
| What is Progressing Euroa? | | Progressing Euroa is a dynamic upgrade of the town’s centre aimed to increase the town’s vitality for residents, business and visitors.
The project is a co-operative effort between the Strathbogie Shire Council, Euroa Rotary Club, Euroa Tourism and Business Association, Tourism Lakes and Ranges Board, Strathbogie Ranges Tourism Association and the Euroa Action Group.
Already State Government has awarded a $249,000 grant towards implementation of stage one of the project. Following confirmation of the funding a stakeholder workshop was held to create a brief for landscape architect, David Turley of THA Landscape Architects.
Stage one of the Progressing Euroa project comprises works in the centre of town, Hume Freeway signage upgrade and treatment of the Seven Creeks Park. While stage two requires a separate effort to attract funding, it envisages the construction of a visitor information centre also within the park along with refurbishment of some facilities like public toilets.
In closer detail, stage one comprises five separate elements.
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| Element One: Town Entrance Signs | | It is proposed that new town entrance signs would be constructed on the Old Hume Highway on Euroa’s outskirts. The exact location of the signs will need to meet VicRoads’ approval but it is proposed to place one sign on the northern side of town nearby Saxon Street. And on the southern approach, a sign would be placed on the highway opposite Simpson’s Lane.
It is proposed the signs be constructed from a variety of locally sourced materials including stone, wrought iron, galvanized and enameled steel, timber and concrete. The compilation of these materials would reflect key community themes like park and water (and rest), heritage (village and buildings) and village by the ranges. Design elements of these signs could be derived to create smaller versions at other locations within Euroa.
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| Element Two: Screening of Old Service Stations | | This element considers the industrial sites and disused buildings along the Old Hume Highway within the township. An avenue of new and existing trees has been proposed, to be underplanted with grassed verges to provide a visual relief from the old buildings. Permeability of the trees will allow visibility to existing and future businesses operating along the roadside. This effort would apply to both north and south approaches to Euroa.
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| Element Three: Binney Street & Old Hume Highway Intersection | | A roundabout or other kind of treatment like a centre median strip is proposed for this location, in an effort to encourage visitors to turn into Binney Street. The revamped intersection would see new identity signage placed on either side of the Old Hume Highway approach, and would be surrounded by new garden bed. Sculptural poles and banners would also be installed around the intersection to clearly identify the route into the central shopping precinct.
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| Element Four: Shopping Centre Precinct "Arrival" | | The installation of banners and sculptural elements have been recommended along Binney Street between Brock Street to the Old Hume Highway. The works would create a stronger visual connection between the highway and the shopping precinct to generate greater visibility and attention toward the shopping area.
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| Element Five: Linkages between Seven Creeks Park and Shopping Precinct | | A walking trail has been proposed between the existing picnic area on Kirkland Street, along the Seven Creeks to emerge back on Kirkland Avenue at Beck Street. Development would see the end of Brock Street become a major entry to the creek reserve. New signage would promote access to the new trail and provide interpretive information on the site history and ecology. Informal parking would be removed from the reserve and replaced with parkland. New parking would be provided on Kirkland Avenue in the same vicinity. Links to the shopping precinct would be reinforced with appropriate signage.
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| Moving Forward | | The concept plans have been presented to the public, and the next step is to generate a final design before a construction program is presented to the community.
While State Government has committed $249,000, council has contributed $100,000 to fund stage one of the Progressing Euroa Project. Meanwhile, $85,000 will be put toward a new lighting network in Seven Creeks Park. The $85,000 includes $40,000 from Council, $20,000 from the Euroa Rotary Club, $10,000 from the Euroa Traders Association and a further $15,000 from the State Government through Regional Development Victoria.
A further funding application from Council for $468,000 from the Australian Government’s Regional Partnerships Programme for stage two of ‘Progressing Euroa’, which includes a Visitor Information Centre and extension of the lighting project in Seven Creeks Park, is currently under consideration.
“I urge all Euroa residents to become involved in the community consultation process and to have their say on the future of their town. After all, the town centre and the final design does not belong to Council, it belongs to the community,” Strathbogie Shire Council Mayor, Gregory Carlson said.
While Federal Government funding support for the second stage has been announced, this will need to be confirmed with the new Minister. The Regional Partnerships Program did receive some negative publicity during the election campaign, buy the community’s case is strong.
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