Council has been reviewing the Region's Sustainable Transport Strategy. This is a document that helps inform our decisions for our transport network, guiding our investment and land use to cover everything from neighbourhood bikeways and paths, to major projects that lead to effective design of our major roads and public transport and connections to freight corridors.
The strategy will guide transport policy, integrated land use and transport planning, and future transport investment decisions to ensure transport supports the sustainable economic growth of the Region while treasuring those things that make living here special.
Council developed the strategy in 2014, with many goals achieved since then. This review has been conducted with the involvement of key stakeholders and community working groups with representatives with diverse transport needs.
Consultation on this strategy has now closed. Council will consider all the submissions and advise the community of the outcome in due course. Thank you to all those community members who provided feedback.
What is sustainable transport?
There is a current focus on the use of the word sustainable with a heavy environmental aspect. However, when Council considers sustainability, it needs to account for the several factors that contribute to how it is made sustainable - financial, environmental and social as both impacts and benefits.
Sustainable transport occurs where the social, economic and environmental needs of the community are met now and into the future. Transport cannot meet all of these needs in and of itself.
Sustainability can only be achieved if underpinned by the integrated governance of interdependent streams, including land use, economic growth, social services and the management of the natural and built environment.
If the transport system does not support any one of these pillars, or the governance of interdependent streams is not integrated, the objective of sustainability cannot be achieved.
How is the Sustainable Transport Strategy used?
The strategy will be regularly reviewed - between five and 10 years - based on the major changes in the Region.
Every two to three years an implementation plan will be developed, highlighting goals and key outcomes for the Region.
From the Implementation plan, specific Strategic Action Plans will be developed on how outcomes will be achieved by Council. These are used to guide funding decisions, help in state and federal government funding applications and help in creating Council's campaigns to help residents make changes in their actions.
See the flow chart below.
