Zaneta Mascarenhas (Swan, Australian Labor Party) | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) commends the Government for its ongoing commitment to improving road safety for vulnerable road users and fostering more connected, liveable communities through continued investment in active transport infrastructure;

(2) notes that the 2026-27 budget delivers an additional $500 million for the Active Transport Fund, bringing the total investment in active transport infrastructure to $600 million, with $50 million to be made available each year for the next ten years to support the construction of new and upgraded walking and cycling infrastructure across Australia;

(3) acknowledges the success of the first round of the Active Transport Fund, which delivered $100 million for safer, connected and accessible transport infrastructure projects, including walking and cycling pathways in communities across the country;

(4) recognises that the first round of the fund supported 81 projects across all states and territories, helping local councils and state and territory governments improve active transport connections to schools, workplaces, services and recreational areas;

(5) further notes that projects funded through the Active Transport Fund improve road safety outcomes for vulnerable road users by separating cyclists and pedestrians from traffic and encouraging greater uptake of active transport; and

(6) highlights that the Active Transport Fund supports the Government's broader objectives of reducing transport emissions, improving public health outcomes, easing congestion and creating safer, more connected and sustainable urban and regional communities.

Walking the pavement, riding a bike with the wind in your hair, hearing your breath puff because your heart's pumping—that is what active transport is about. Our bodies were designed to move—walking, cycling, jogging, scooting—so that's what we should do. Last year we introduced something called the Active Transport Fund because we want to see more people moving. This was initially a $100 million fund, but at this federal budget we delivered an extra $500 million to this fund to deliver $50 million each year over a 10-year period. This is about building stronger, safer, more connected communities to make it easier and cheaper for people to get around.

I'll start by sharing a story. I used to work on St Georges Terrace in Perth for a long period of time, and I always used to watch from the bus all of these people riding their bikes to the city. I wanted to be one of those people, but I never prioritised that. The thing that started me wanting to actually become a cyclist was when I became a mother. I had a one-year-old child and I was returning from maternity leave, and the quickest way for me to get to work and do childcare drop-off was to ride my bike, so that's what I did. What was wonderful about riding my bike to day care and work is you get to see your community in high resolution. I get to chat with my son and spend this wonderful time talking about the world around us. I get to see my neighbourhood in high resolution. The other thing that I didn't expect—people expect you to have baby brain when you come back from maternity leave, but when you start with a really great workout in the morning, riding along the Derbarl Yerrigan, the great Swan River, it's a really great way to start the work day.

One particular afternoon, I was going to pick up my son, and on Albany Highway there was a single lane of traffic and cars parked to the side. As a cyclist, you don't ride right next to the car doors, because a car door can open at any stage; you ride in the middle of the road. I was about to turn right, and there was this big four-wheel drive behind me, honking at me despite the fact that I had a child seat on the back of my bike and continuing to honk at me as we turned into the car park of my childcare centre. I got off my bike and I was a bit rude to him because I was a bit shaken up. I spoke to another dad and I was kind of like, 'I just got abused on the street for riding on the road.' That didn't stop me from riding. What I realised is that people want safer, easier streets to actually be able to do active transport.

That's fundamentally what this fund is about. We want to make it easier for pedestrians and cyclists to be connected to their community and to be safe as well. In my community of Swan, the Active Transport Fund is in the process of delivering a shared-use pathway from the Cannington train station all the way to the Canning River. This will improve active transport for two local schools, Queens Park Primary School and Cannington Community College, and the Cannington Leisureplex. This is going to be something that really makes a huge difference. Basically, I see it as a rail-to-river pathway, and it makes tangible improvements to my local community, making it easier for kids to get to school.

It's interesting, because cars do many short trips that could be partially replaced by active transport, whether that be walking, riding or scooting. This is good for the environment and good for your health, but it's also good for your hip pocket. It's also great for road congestion, which is why we saw, in the first round, 81 projects supported across the country. It's interesting, because in my community I've seen community leaders like David Linder, Jane Kircher-Linder, Lana Snook, Tony Cronk, David and Di Crabb, who started riding cargo bikes, and that started to become more mainstream in our community. Other people followed, like me and Councillor Sky Croeser and also other parents like Julie.

We're seeing people continue to want to do active transport. As we build the infrastructure, we will see more parents, more families, more commuters, more workers and more children do active transport. I commend this motion.

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