Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Absolutely, pushbikes. Encouraging the building and development of polycentric cities is the key and that is what we should be aiming at. Encouraging employers to set up in regional and outer urban areas is also crucial. Ensuring people live in closer proximity to their work, play or study is also key in reducing congestion. Once people do live closer and you ensure they have safe and easy access to their destination, it encourages that active transport. And it does more than one thing—it has more than just a social impact, more than just an economic impact; it also has a health impact on the individual and on the environment.

Building safe and well-connected cycling, walking and public transport networks is critically important. The government has worked with, and will continue to work with, state, territory and local governments to improve travel times in our cities though encouraging more compact and mixed use development and improving public transport. Providing active travel options is the right way to go. We need a holistic approach to these issues through the three levels of government. The future challenges for liveability and productivity are complex but, with the right tools and the right determination, we can continue to grow in a properly managed environment.

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