In a submission to the federal government’s draft National Urban Policy, Bicycle Network and seven other Australian bicycle organisations have called for active transport infrastructure funding to be increased to 10% of federal transport investment.
The groups have also called on the government to provide national guidance to ensure the best possible outcomes in the delivery of infrastructure for active transport in all cities through a policy with measurable targets and metrics, a succinct implementation plan for all levels of government and agreed monitoring and reporting.
The organisations include We Ride Australia, Bicycle NSW, Bicycle Queensland, West Cycle, Pedal Power ACT, Bicycle Queensland and AusCycling, Pedal Power ACT and Bike SA.
The group represents a combined national membership of 141,500, the 9.52 million Australians who rode a bike in 2023, and the large and growing cohort of Australians who would take up riding a bike for transport if provided with a safe, connected network of active transport infrastructure.
The draft policy, released in May, outlines five goals for Australian cities to be liveable, equitable, productive, sustainable and resilient. The government has committed $350 million in urban community infrastructure programs.
“The National Urban Policy can build on the blueprint already set through established, inner-city areas to create a vision for Australia’s suburbs that gives everyone the same opportunities for mobility and increases the liveability of our cities while reducing emissions in the transport sector, improving population health and community amenity and addressing cost of living and equity concerns,” our submission says.
“Bike riding, particularly in combination with walking and public transport, can provide people living anywhere in Australia’s cities with safe, low-cost, low-emission, readily accessible transport for most of their daily trips.”
The submission includes 18 recommendations for a National Urban Policy that guides federal, state and local governments to create thriving urban communities where it is easy for everyone to get around by bike and on foot.
Key recommendations:
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Provide funding for schools to deliver ride and walk to school programs and ensure complete, safe active transport networks that connect schools to their local communities are part of funding guidelines under federal, state and territory investment programs.
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Ensure planning and investment in social and affordable housing includes facilities for active transport networks to ensure accessible and equitable transport choices are available to residents in all urban areas.
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Provide funding to support states to deliver wide-ranging e-bike rebate and subsidy schemes that offer equity of access to potential users of active modes of transport and create incentives to replace daily motor vehicle trips for personal use.
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Introduce financial incentives for the use of e-cargo bikes in logistics and freight deliveries for the ‘last mile’.
Bicycle Network CEO Alison McCormack highlighted the group’s call for funding for ride and walk to school programs, such as Bicycle Network’s 18-year-old Ride2School program which lost Victorian government funding in 2023.
“The community has supported us to raise funds to keep this important program running and encourage a generation of healthy young people to travel actively, but we need government funding to support this vital work,” McCormack says.
“Our communities also need well-planned, connected walking and riding infrastructure that not only gets students to school safely, but encourages everyone to adopt active, sustainable travel habits.
“Bicycle Network members and the bike riding community constantly tell us that delivery of better bike infrastructure is key to getting more people to travel actively for health, exercise and the environment.
“We also call on governments to work together to rapidly provide financial incentives so that people can adopt e-bikes and replace their cars with a sustainable mode of transport.”
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