Tracey Roberts (Pearce, Australian Labor Party) | Hansard source

The incorporated speech read as follows

Today I would like to commend the Albanese Labor government for its ongoing commitment to improving road safety for vulnerable road users and for building more connected and liveable communities through continued investment in active transport infrastructure. This is a practical investment in the everyday lives of Australians. It is about making it safer and easier for people to walk, ride and move around their communities. It is about giving families more transport choices, and it is about building communities where people can get to school, work, shops, services and local facilities without always relying on the car.

Pearce is one of the largest- and fastest-growing electorates, stretching across outer suburban and semi-rural communities in northern Perth and into some of Western Australia's growing areas. In communities like ours, transport connections are not just about getting from one place to another; they are about safety, access and liveability. For example, when there are missing footpaths, unsafe crossings or poor links to public transport, people feel it every day.

The 2026-27 budget delivers an additional $500 million for the Active Transport Fund, bringing the Albanese Labor government's total commitment to active transport infrastructure to $600 million. That means $50 million will be available each year for the next 10 years to support new and upgraded walking and cycling infrastructure across Australia. This is the kind of long-term planning communities need. It gives local councils and state governments certainty to plan, design and deliver projects properly. It also recognises that infrastructure is not just about major roads and bridges; it is also about the local paths, crossings and connections people rely on every day. In a place like Pearce, that matters just as much as anywhere else.

This announcement builds on the success of the first round of the Active Transport Fund, launched in 2024, which delivered $100 million for safer, connected and accessible transport infrastructure projects. Those projects supported 81 initiatives across every state and territory, helping local councils and state and territory governments improve connections to schools, workplaces, services and recreational areas. That is exactly the sort of practical, local infrastructure that makes a real difference. A safer shared path to a school, a better crossing near a shopping precinct, a cycling connection to a train station, improved lighting and accessibility on a well-used walking route—these may sound like small projects, but in a local community they can transform how people move and how safe they feel doing it.

For Pearce and for communities across Western Australia, this is especially important. We know our suburbs are growing, we know people want more local options for travel and we know active transport has a role to play in helping communities stay connected while reducing pressure on our roads. It also helps make new housing developments more liveable from the start, rather than trying to retrofit safety and access later.

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. That means fewer conflicts on our roads, safer street crossings and infrastructure that helps children get to school more safely, helps older Australians stay active and helps families make shorter trips without getting in the car. This fund also supports the government's broader objectives of reducing transport emissions, improving public health outcomes, easing congestion and creating safer, more connected and more sustainable communities.

From my previous role as mayor of the city of Wanneroo, in Pearce, I know the role of local government is so important. Councils know where the gaps are. They know which crossings are unsafe, which footpaths are incomplete and where communities are being held back by poor connections. Labor recognises the important role councils play in identifying local infrastructure priorities and delivering projects that improve community wellbeing and connectivity. In Pearce, local councils are often the first to hear where people feel unsafe or disconnected. The Active Transport Fund gives them another source of support to fix those local problems and improve everyday life.

I commend the Albanese Labor government for this important commitment and for continuing to build the safer, more connected communities Australians deserve.

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