SCRAPPING the Intermodel Overpass will be felt "right down the main street in all our small businesses", according to Moree Chamber of Commerce chairperson Dibs Cush.
She joined politicians in rebuking the Federal Government over its decision to cut the overpass from its 10-year, $120 billion infrastructre pipeline.
The Overpass, part of the Inland Rail project, was one of 82 projects cancelled under the cost-cutting exercise.
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It would have bypassed the town of Moree, linking the Gwydir Highway east and west of the township and include a bridge overcrossing of the Inland Rail and Newell Highway corridors.
The Overpass would have separated rail and road, significantly improving safety and heavy vehicle access, as well as providing a smoother route for freight to Moree's Special Activation Precinct.
The Federal Government committed $35.2 million to the $44 million project in 2021.
But Infrastructure Minister Catherine King scrapped the project last week.
Ms Cush said: "The Intermodal Overpass would have enhanced the ability for farmers to deliver produce to processors and ultimately on to markets as part of the Inland Rail.
"It is a step in the wrong direction, particularly for the Moree Plains Shire, one of the most significant for its agricultural output and the numerous businesses that support the industry.
"The flow-on effect of cutting infrastructure projects is felt right down the main street in all our small businesses, as well as those who would have been directly involved in its construction."
Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton said he had the hard task of phoning regional mayors, including Moree Plains Shire Council Mark Johnson, informing them the project had effectively ground to a halt.
"People have staked their livelihoods on the reliability of the Inland Rail as a future driver for growth ... To have these key pieces in the puzzle effectively scrapped is devastating," Mr Coulton said.
"The wider Moree area is one of the most significant agricultural producers in Australia - that the Labor Government has shut down expansion of the Inland Rail in this area shows a shocking lack of both insight and foresight."
Inland Rail is broken into 13 smaller projects, with the Narrabri to North Star section of Inland Rail upgrading 189 kilometres of existing rail corridor and construct about 2 kilometres of new track near Moree.
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