Zaneta Mascarenhas (Swan, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | 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.

Meryl Swanson (Paterson, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Fiona Phillips (Gilmore, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Monique Ryan (Kooyong, Independent) | Link to this | 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.

Fiona Phillips (Gilmore, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm really pleased to second this private members' business motion in support of the Active Transport Fund because my electorate of Gilmore spans a 200-kilometre stretch of coastline on the New South Wales South Coast and is home to more than 180 towns and villages. Shared pathways are essential to link communities in the region, whether that's along the coast, through bushland or into our more rural areas. Pathways improve pedestrian and cyclist safety and help create healthier, safer and more connected communities.

In Gilmore, we're fortunate to have many proactive community groups that are leading the advocacy of these shared pathway projects in areas like Jamberoo, Mollymook, Bawley Point, Kings Point and Currarong. Recently I joined with the Bawley Point and Kioloa communities to celebrate the completion of the pathway that connects the two coastal villages. It's a project that has taken decades and has been completed in stages, but the community pushed on because they knew how much it was needed. I joined with local families, kids and dogs to celebrate the culmination of an incredible community project. I congratulate and thank the people of Kioloa and Bawley Point for their determination and hard work.

I have thrown my support behind another local community group, who are working towards the construction of the 3C Connect Pathway to link the beachside villages of Culburra Beach, Currarong and Callala. This is such an important project for these small communities and the many visitors to the Jervis Bay region.

I was saddened when the Jamberoo cycleway was shelved last year due to an inability to match funding from the state government. This cycleway has been in the pipeline for two decades and will meander through rolling farmland, linking the rural township of Jamberoo with Kiama's network of paths as well.

We need to help more communities with projects like this, which is why I welcome more funding flowing into them through the Active Transport Fund. With an ageing population in Gilmore, safe pathways are essential for walking to the shops, medical appointments or the local bowling club. I've seen in my own village how shared pathways encourage our older residents to keep active. They also open up social opportunities for people that may be feeling lonely or isolated. At the other end of the scale, we have many young families that are encouraged to walk with prams or venture out with young kids on scooters or bikes to safely walk or ride to the local park, school or sporting fields.

The South Coast is a hugely popular tourist destination, and the provision of shared pathways encourages visitors to get out and explore our beautiful region. A walk to the local coffee shop, or cafe, supports our local economy, which relies heavily on the tourist dollar. There's nothing better than going for a morning or evening walk, which I often do with my dog, and seeing families with kids running and riding along pathways, couples walking hand in hand and people out running with their furry friends. It's just really great to see people outdoors, breathing fresh air and embracing a healthy lifestyle.

Covering three local government areas of Kiama, Shoalhaven and the Eurobodalla, I know that new or improved footpaths and cycleways are at the top of the wish list for many communities, but council funding is limited. That's why I'm proud to be part of a government that is committed to improving road safety and fostering more connected, liveable communities, through continued investment in active transport infrastructure.

I'm pleased that the 2026-27 budget is delivering an additional $500 million in new funding for the Active Transport Fund, bringing the total investment in active transport infrastructure to $600 million, and $50 million will be made available each year for the next 10 years to support the construction of new and upgraded walking and cycling infrastructure. This funding will support the construction and upgrade of shared paths and cycleways that connect schools, public transport hubs, activity centres and community facilities.

Active Transport Fund projects fit into this government's broader objectives of reducing transport emissions, improving public health outcomes and easing congestion. As an avid walker and cyclist, I really do welcome the funding increase, and I'm sure people in communities right across Australia will too.

Tom Venning (Grey, Liberal Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the government's motion commending the Active Transport Fund—$600 million for bike paths and walking trails, to 'support the Australian government's commitment to reducing transport emissions and support active and liveable communities'. Well, that sounds amazing.

I have read this motion, and I must ask the government: have they ever looked at a map of the electorate of Grey? It covers 92 per cent of South Australia. The only way we stay connected is by phone, satphone, car, truck, chopper or aeroplane. Under this fund, I suppose the government expects pastoralists to ditch their utes, strap a haybale on the mountain bike and make their way down to feed the cattle. I mean, our farmers are tough, but this is just ridiculous. Imagine the sheer fitness of our rural workforce if they just cycled down the Oodnadatta Track for their morning commute! I mean, 2028 Olympics here we come!

But the reality is that, for regional South Australians, road infrastructure is no laughing matter at all. While Labor throws half a billion bucks at bike lanes, our regional road network is crumbling. On mainland Australia, South Australia receives the lowest federal road funding per kilometre. And I tell you what: it shows. My constituents are not asking for dedicated cycling infrastructure to get to work; they want roads that are actually passable.

Here is what is happening in the real world. I, myself, drive road trains, and I welcome any member of this government or any bureaucrat from the infrastructure department to come and sit in the truck with me and drive on our roads in our electorate. There are numerous unsafe roads. I want to call out a few of them: the Flinders Highway on the west coast and pretty much any road on the Lower Yorke Peninsula, or any road in the Adelaide Plains. And it's not just me saying this. A Clare constituent recently told me that the Cattle Track Road is beyond a joke. They drive on the wrong side of the road just to avoid the dozens of deep potholes. There's the Augusta Highway, Highway 1; Robin, a truckie from Booleroo Centre, is disgusted that an upgraded section started falling apart after just six months.

And you know what? It's the same in the outback too. At Braemar Station, Leesa Breeding tells me, they have gone without mail for extended periods because Australia Post cannot access the officially closed roads. Up in Anna Creek, Tony, a northern pastoralist, notes that 10 years ago they had five road gangs operating two graders; now it's just one service crew, which services 10,000 kilometres of outback roads.

And what was the government's solution to these fundamental failures? Drop the regional speed limit to 80 kilometres an hour! Thankfully, that nonsense came and it went.

But maybe they have a better idea now, and maybe this motion gives us some insight into what that is. Perhaps they want us all to ride bicycles! That will surely drop the road toll and make even the worst roads somewhat passable!

Instead of fixing the roads, the Albanese government has delivered cuts and confusion for our local road networks. This has been amplified by the 80-20 funding split shifting to a fifty-fifty model with the states—absolutely outrageous. South Australia's supplementary road funding has been frozen since 2017, silently cut by inflation, while councils struggle heavily under the immense weight of maintaining vital regional road network freight routes and key local roads.

We have some small victories. Following strong local advocacy, we secured disaster recovery funding for flood damaged roads across remote councils from Ceduna to Coober Pedy to Quorn. It proves we can fight for our fair share. But should we have to fight? Emergency relief is just a temporary bandaid on a systematic failure. We desperately need performance based contracts where builders guarantee their work instead of taxpayers footing the bill when a road fails after two years. I say to this government: keep your shiny new bike paths, keep your connected communities, keep your e-bike access, keep your emissions reduction targets, and when a boilermaker in Roxby Downs works out exactly how to secure a plasma cutter and an ARC welder to an e-bike I'll be the very first to let you know.

Mary Aldred (Monash, Liberal Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

I understand the member for Pearce would like to present a copy of her speech for incorporation into Hansard, in accordance with the resolution agreed to on 6 November 2025. I thank the member for Pearce and I acknowledge her contribution to this place.

Tracey Roberts (Pearce, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | 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.

Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal National Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

Let me say from the outset that every member of this House supports safer roads, safer pathways and safer communities. We all want Australians to be able to walk, ride and exercise safely in their local communities, getting you home sooner and safer. But what Australians are looking for is not another Labor announcement; they are looking for results. While the government wants to talk about active transport, communities like mine on the Sunshine Coast are asking a much more fundamental question: why are our roads becoming less safe under Labor?

The facts are deeply concerning. Road fatalities across Australia continue to rise. The National Road Safety Strategy set an ambitious target of halving road deaths by 2030. Yet since that strategy commenced, the national road toll has gone backwards, not forwards. In Queensland alone, 158 people have already lost their lives on our roads just this calendar year. Tragically, we are tracking above last year's figures, which were the worst in more than 16 years. Behind every one of those statistics is a devastated family, a grieving community and a life cut short. That's why road safety must always be about outcomes, not announcements.

Unfortunately, we've seen from the Albanese government a pattern of cuts, delays and broken promises when it comes to transport infrastructure. Since coming to office, Labor has cancelled, cut or delayed more than $30 billion worth of transport infrastructure projects across this country. In this year's budget alone, the government cut a further $3.9 billion in payments to the states and territories for road infrastructure. At the same time, Labor continues to collect billions more in fuel excise from Australian motorists. Australians are paying more at the bowser and getting less investment in the roads they rely upon every day.

Nowhere is this more evident than in my electorate of Fisher. The Sunshine Coast is one of the fastest-growing regions in Australia. Our population continues to grow, but the infrastructure needed to support that growth is simply not keeping pace. For local residents, traffic congestion is worsening, travel times are increasing and critical road upgrades continue to face delays.

We've seen cuts and delays to projects that our community desperately needs. We've seen cuts to funding that the member for Fairfax and I worked so hard to get for projects like the Mooloolah River Interchange and roads like the second access route into Caloundra—both cut by the member for Ballarat, the infrastructure minister. Two major projects on the Sunshine Coast that I fought for and secured funding for were cut by this Labor government. Why? Because Labor doesn't care about the Sunshine Coast. We've seen uncertainty around every major transport investment from this federal government on the Sunshine Coast. We've seen local motorists left wondering when the infrastructure that they were promised will finally be delivered. Thankfully, the Queensland LNP government has stepped up where the Albanese government has stepped back. The Crisafulli government has been forced to pick up the tab and pick up the slack to keep these critical projects moving and improve road safety outcomes for Queenslanders.

There's one consistent thing when it comes to road infrastructure. When we were in government at a federal level, we supported projects in Queensland that we didn't have to, when the Labor government were in power. We needed to prop up the Labor government because they weren't spending money on the Sunshine Coast. Now that Labor are in government at a federal level, the LNP state government are once again having to pick up where this Labor government have stepped back. Labor doesn't care about the Sunshine Coast. I'll continue to harangue them every step of the way until they pick up their game on road and infrastructure spend.

Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

Our government is building safer and more connected communities that are making it easier and cheaper for Australians to get around. We have a big nation. There are a lot of roads. There are a lot more people taking bikes, which is a healthier option when it is an option for people in their communities, and I commend people who are doing that. But we need to make sure that the arteries going through our country work for communities, for industry and for every Australian. We are committed to improving road safety so that, when people are on our roads, they get home to their families safe and sound.

We are creating more connected and liveable communities whilst also reducing emissions. In the budget just gone, there was an additional $500 million delivered for the Active Transport Fund, bringing the total investment in active transport by the Albanese government to $600 million. That is nothing to sneeze at, given that the broader objectives are reducing transport emissions; improving those public health outcomes; easing congestion, particularly in the cities; and creating safer, more connected and more sustainable urban and regional communities.

There are two cities in my electorate—small cities by the big-city standard. But this is important not only to people that live in Darwin and Palmerston but to people that live in the regional communities of the Northern Territory as well. The projects funded through the ATF aim to improve safety for all road users by separating cyclists and pedestrians from traffic whenever possible and providing safer street crossings.

Labor recognises the important role that our local governments, our councils, play in identifying local infrastructure priorities and delivering projects that do improve community wellbeing and connectivity. The budget delivers an ongoing investment, and applications for the next round will be open to local, state and territory governments very soon. I encourage the local councils of Darwin and Palmerston, who are, in fact, visiting this House today, to apply for those rounds. The Australian government is investing over $120 billion over 10 years in the infrastructure investment pipeline to improve productivity, resilience, safety and liveability for communities around the country.

In the time remaining, I just want to quickly reflect on the importance of road safety in my community, Darwin and Palmerston. It is really essential. We are doing a lot of work, particularly on Bagot Road, to address it. Thanks very much.

Mary Aldred (Monash, Liberal Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned, and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.