Monique Ryan (Kooyong, Independent) | Hansard source

I thank the member for Swan for bringing this motion. In the 2026-27 budget, the Australian government has committed ongoing funding for the Active Transport Fund. It's $500 million over 10 years from 2026-27 to support construction of and upgrades to bicycle and walking paths across Australia.

This commitment builds on the $100 million over four years delivered in the 2024-25 budget. Due to strong competition and high demand from communities across the country, that earlier tranche of funding was quickly exhausted, which was a clear sign that Australians want better cycling and walking infrastructure and that local governments and community organisations are very ready to deliver it. I, along with other members of the crossbench, wrote to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government in February of this year asking her for additional investment in this fund, so I'm really pleased that the government has responded to calls for that. The fund is an important investment into reducing transport emissions and promoting liveability and public health across our country.

The department responsible for the Active Transport Fund has advised that program guidelines are currently being revised and will be published ahead of the next tranche opening for applications, which is expected shortly. It's not clear at this stage whether that revision of the guidelines will be open for public submission. I call on the government to open up this process to local communities so they can contribute their needs and their desires.

I'm calling on the government to expand the eligibility parameters for the fund. Currently only publicly owned road assets or corridors are eligible for funding under the Active Transport Fund. To meet existing eligibility requirements, active pathways must be on or immediately adjacent to road assets or corridors as defined by the National Land Transport Act. This is an unnecessarily narrow definition. It excludes some of the most valuable and well-used active transport infrastructure in our communities—pathways, for example, like the trail from Box Hill to Hawthorn, in Kooyong, which I've spoken about repeatedly in this place. It's an ideal candidate for federal and state funding to decrease traffic congestion, decrease emissions, improve commuters' health and increase the safety of pedestrians, bike riders and scooter riders as well. But the project is not currently eligible for funding under this scheme, because some sections of the trail aren't immediately adjacent to a road. This is exactly the sort of off-road greenway infrastructure which encourages people to choose cycling or walking over driving. It's the sort of route that feels pleasant, safe, green, connected to nature. It's a route that has birdlife, where you might enjoy a ride or a walk to work in fresh, clean air. You can see the odd kangaroo and sometimes even a seal in the Yarra.

Many active transport paths run through bush, park or lakeside settings. They're deliberately separated from traffic for safety and for amenity. There's a reason why we don't necessarily want them to be immediately adjacent to roads. Excluding them makes little sense if our goal is genuinely to grow safe, clean, quiet, low-emission active transport options. I call on the government to reconsider eligibility criteria for this fund and to revise them such that they reflect the full diversity of active transport infrastructure that communities want.

While I'm here, I'm pleased that the government has invested $500 million over 10 years, but think about how much more we could invest if we didn't give hundreds of millions of dollars to fossil fuel subsidies. The last budget shows that, in the next financial year, the Commonwealth will provide nearly $11 billion to off-road diesel users alone. By 2029-2030 that will increase to nearly $30 billion. Some of those tax credits are legitimately helping farmers and other people in the agricultural sector, but nearly half are going to the mining sector to help it continue its fossil fuel use, rather than helping it to decarbonise. So, as we invest $500 million in sustainable transport over a decade, I ask the government whether giving $5 billion in diesel subsidies to mining companies every year is the right set of priorities for our country's future.

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