Better Streets has signed a joint statement to the Australian Government in response to their open call for consultation on developing Australia's Transport and Infrastructure Net Zero Roadmap and Action Plan.
The joint statement is being organised by Climate Action Network Australia (CANA) here and has over 60 signatories from around Australia. The Joint Statement recommends the government:
Read to the Joint Statement here.
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A good National Urban Policy should have a vision and be a coordinated framework for urban development, ensuring efficient use of resources across states and cities. It should align investments in infrastructure, transport, services, and housing, enhancing access to funding. A good urban policy would prioritise sustainable, inclusive growth and investment that supports the development of climate-friendly, people-friendly, liveable urban spaces. Unfortunately, the draft National Urban Policy for Australia, which is out for consultation now until 4 July 2024 (A National Urban Policy for Australia | Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts), lacks many of these qualities. Better Streets has a set of recommendations to improve the policy and will be meeting the Cities and Suburbs unit at the Australian Government to share with them. Feedback from individuals and organisations is highly recommended. TLDR: Pages 34, 35 and 41 are the most important to read from a Better Streets perspective. We suggest you read these and comment specifically on those pages. Better Streets president Sara Stace explains the Recommendations: 1. Create an Implementation Plan As recommended in the UN guide on How to Formulate a National Urban Policy, it needs to have an Implementation Plan setting out what the government will do, when, the baseline data and how it will be monitored. Progress then needs to be reported annually. Currently, each chapter includes ‘discussion’ about what the Australian Government is currently doing, muddled into the policy sections. 2. Provide clear, unequivocal recommendations for the Australian Government to action The policy also needs to be absolutely unequivocal about what it considers to be best practice (e.g. mixed-use infill with good public transport and amenities) and worst practice that should be strongly discouraged (e.g. unfettered urban expansion that will be car-dependent for decades). The Australian Government has a number of levers it can pull, such as:
3. Provide evidence and remove the platitudes The 2011 policy was accompanied by detailed evidence - in the form of discussion papers and the annual State of Australian Cities reports. This draft includes a wide range of platitudes, such as ‘Adequately housing our workforce will support productivity and growth in our cities, improving our lives and ensuring we can adapt to future challenges’, and unsubstantiated claims, such as ‘areas with greater childcare availability have higher female workforce participation rates’. 4. Focus solely on urban areas, and differentiate between demographic and spatial issues
The Principles are the strongest section of this draft:
For more information, Better Streets President Sara Stace wrote a LinkedIn post about the drawbacks of the draft policy. Having written the original 2011 version, and the global guide for the UN on How to Formulate a National Urban Policy, you can read them here: link).
Australian government to fund $100 million national Active Transport FundKey points
Full Release Better Streets welcomes the Australian Government’s announcement of a $100 million national Active Transport Fund. It’s pleasing to see funding to upgrade and deliver new bicycle and walking paths. Investing in active transport is the most effective way to deliver mobility freedom for Australians. Active transport infrastructure provides safe, healthy, enjoyable and convenient options to walk or ride a bicycle, enabling people of all ages to access school, jobs, or services at a low cost. The Better Streets Recommendation #1 to all governments is to get kids active, to encourage 75% of children to walk, cycle, scoot, or take public transport to school everyday, setting them up with healthy habits for life. To make this happen we need investment in bicycle and walking paths, which the announcement provides. Similarly, Recommendation #4 is to make more crossings for people walking, and Recommendation #5 is to build more bicycle routes, directly align with the announcement. Every journey that can be switched to active transport is a win for our environment and a win for our children’s future. Better Streets calls upon each state and territory government to match the federal government’s announcement, dollar for dollar, and to provide stable, continual investment in active transport, which is core to building better streets. Quotes attributable to Sara Stace, President “Better Streets welcomes the Australian Government’s announcement of a $100 million national Active Transport Fund.” “Investing in active transport is a way to deliver mobility freedom for Australians, enabling people of all ages to get around in a low cost manner.” “Better Streets calls upon each state and territory government to match the federal government’s announcement, dollar for dollar, and to provide stable, continual investment in active transport, which is core to building better streets that are safe, healthy, and accessible and enjoyable for all.” About Better Streets Better Streets is the peak body for accelerating the adoption of safe, healthy, people-friendly, climate-friendly streets, right across Australia. Better Streets is a registered charity, run by volunteers, experts, educators, and advocates. Our goal is to educate, connect and empower our coalition of community groups, businesses, decision-makers and individuals to take more effective, scalable action and advocate to improve our streets. https://www.betterstreets.org.au/about-us.html Reference: Australia Government. (7 May 2024). National Active Transport Fund. https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/c-king/media-release/national-active-transport-fund Download Press Release
National Ride to School Day, on the 22nd of March 2024, is a fun way to raise awareness of the benefits of riding, walking and scooting – collectively known as ‘active transport’- to school. It is a day when the school community can come together to promote the joys and benefits of active travel to school. It is also a great way to kick start positive habits for the year ahead, but also longer term into adulthood, that benefit personal health, the environment, and even learning. We suggest some steps to take if you are keen to make a Ride to School Day happen at your school but don’t know where to begin. Remember:
Ride2School Day is about more than just getting to school on two wheels. It's about building a healthier, happier community, one ride at a time. Getting started: Key tips The following tips are designed to get you started. Please also check the great Bicycle Network's resources to assist with organising your own ride to school day. If you are in NSW please also sign up to the Bicycle NSW page to find out what is happening locally and let us know where you are in terms of promoting active travel at your school Tips are divided into NOW, A WEEK BEFORE, ON THE DAY and AFTER. NOW 1. Do some quick research and find a couple of supporters before you start
3. Pick a date and get it in the school calendar:
![]() 5. Rally the troops
Optional: Seek sponsorship
Spread the word
Optional - Extra promotion
THE WEEK BEFORE 9. Visibility
ON THE DAY
13. Early Setup
Optional: Reward Participants
AFTER THE EVENT 16. Share Results
Additional Resources:
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