One way Living Streets Canberra does its work is by way of shared, non-partisan policy platforms of priorities.
This work ramped up in 2024.
We saw the 2024 ACT election as a chance to ACT for Safe, Healthy, Active, Inclusive Streets.
That’s why we developed the concept into a shared, non-partisan election platform of priorities for the 2024 ACT election. The aim was to build movement by strengthening and extending the influence of a broad range of community organisations.
This now forms the basis of:
a shared, non-partisan platform of priorities for the ACT 2024-28 Legislative Assembly and Government
developing a shared, non-partisan platform of priorities for Australia nationally, particularly through the 2025 Australian national election
This extends its life of the platform. It means we can keep using the platform:
for advocacy
to build the alliance of organisations calling for the objective, principles and actions contained in the platform
Please contact us if you would like your organisation to support one or both of the platforms.
We continue to add allies’ logos to the document as they came on board.
The platform for the ACT is the same as it was during the election. The only change is a small change to the wording of the subheading. (It changed from ‘A shared, non-partisan platform of priorities for the 2024 ACT election‘ to ‘A shared, non-partisan platform of priorities for the ACT 2024-28 Legislative Assembly and Government’).
The platform for Australia nationally is being developed. Please contact us if you would like to contribute.
We wrote to all parties and to independents that we had met to let them know about ACT for Safe, Health, Active, Inclusive Streets and ask about whether they supported it, element by element.
Despite the state and accessibility of our paths, lighting and other infrastructure for walking being a key issue this election, we received only 11 responses to our survey. They were from:
Animal Justice Party (Robin Soxsmith – Brindabella)
Fiona Carrick Independent
7 Independents for Canberra candidates (Thomas Emerson – Kurrajong, Sara Poguet – Kurrajong, Riley Fernandes – Brindabella, Anne-Louise Dawes – Murrumbidgee, Leanne Foresti – Ginninderra, Mark Richardson – Ginninderra, Elise Searson – Brindabella)
Ungrouped independent Mignonne Cullen (Ginninderra) advised that she had read the platform, has taken the points on board for future reference but decided not to respond to the survey.
Chris Steel MLA provided a separate response about what ACT Labor has done and will do.In light of the low response rate to our survey about this platform, we have compiled a separate list of links to the various parties’ and independent candidates’ policies that may be relevant to the platform’s overall objective.
Australia’s first Transport Equity Week is on 17-23 September 2023.
Living Streets Canberra works for *everyone *in Canberra to be able to walk* easily, safely and conveniently. That’s why we’ve joined the national move to improve transport equity in Australia. We’re also leading Canberra’s involvement in transport equity. (*Walking includes people using personal mobility aids and devices at speeds up to 10 km/h.)
Please sign-up here to keep informed about transport equity and how you can be involved to help show what we need to do in Canberra.
Welcome to our August 2023 newsletter – our first as a SEE Change group!
Living Streets Canberra is now a SEE Change group.
It’s one of the things we’ve been working on to help grow our movement, improve our effectiveness and efficiency, and develop our governance.
And now it’s time to take the next step by coming together for a meeting to help us to get more active and build our movement, presence and influence – and have fun!
— Gill, Convenor
Living Streets Canberra meeting – let’s get organised!
Living Streets Canberra has ambitious aims.
We’ve become a SEE-Change group to help us to do our work and to grow.
As a people-powered group, we now need to meet so we can really get going: introduce ourselves, look at where we’re going, and set up Living Streets Canberra’s overarching committee and some working groups.
So, please come along to our first meeting as a SEE Change group! Here are the details:
Date: Tuesday, 15 August
Time: 6:00-7:00pm
Place: online, using Teams
Registration: via Humanitix – click here
Advocacy
One of the most important things we do is try to make Canberra a better place for people to walk, roll and be in public places. We advocate for:
all of ACT’s active travel environs and public spaces are made to be – and feel – safe, accessible and comfortable – for everyone to use active travel and be in public spaces, regardless of age, ability, gender, culture or mode of travel.
ACT’s mobility options – including all streets, paths, crossings, and public transport stops – to comply with anti-discrimination legislation.
So far this year, both ACT and Commonwealth Governments) has continued to run a large number of consultations on issues that greatly affect people walking, rolling and being in public spaces in Canberra. We have been able to keep up with responding to most of these consultation opportunities. So far we have made submissions on:
ACT Preventive Health Action Plan 2023-2025
National Health & Climate Strategy
Draft ACT Active Travel Design Guide
Garema Place Upgrade
Light Rail Stage 2A – Works Approval and Development Application
E-scooter expansion (our own letter plus a submission by Advocacy for Inclusion that we and ACTCOSS joined)
We have also:
met with ACT Minister for Transport and City Services, Chris Steel MLA
met with several other community advocacy groups locally and nationally, including participating in the Transport Working Groups organised by Conservation Council ACT (of which we’re a member) and Climate Action Network Australia (of which we’re a member via the Conservation Council)
participated in the Light Rail Stage 2A Community Reference Group
been working nationally and locally for Australia’s first Transport Equity Week, which will be held 17-23 September.
However, our advocacy capacity (availability) at the time was insufficient to comment on the proposed City Plan. This is a much-regretted missed opportunity because, although the draft plan contained some nice words, its map showed that walking and rolling in Civic would be almost unchanged from what it is now; that is, travel by motor vehicle would be prioritised.
Preparing submissions is just one way you can help Living Streets Canberra’s advocacy. If you’re interested in volunteering with us:
Have you signed the community petition calling for better investment in infrastructure for active travel (walking, rolling and cycling) yet? If not, please join us and sign it. If so, please share it.
Living Streets Canberra is one of 16 (and growing) community groups who are supporting the petition, led by ACT’s cycling advocacy group Pedal Power.
Let’s see if we can top 1000 signatures on the petition before it is formally delivered to Minister Steel on 4 September – we’re almost there!
Stay Rail Safe
This week is Rail Safety Week.
Living Streets Canberra joins Canberra Metro Operations, the ACT Government and other community groups to raise awareness around the issue of safety around light rail in Canberra for Rail Safety Week.
This year we are urging everyone in Canberra to stay #RailSAFE.
A moment of distraction can change your life forever.
Turn down distractions. Remove your headphones or earphones.
Look Up. Stand behind the gate.
Stand behind the yellow line.
Hold onto handrails.
Stand Back. Look Up. Stay Rail Safe.
In the news
The RiotAct picked up our message that we need to urgently repair and upgrade our infrastructure for active travel – so that *all* our streets and paths need to be safe, accessible, convenient and comfortable for *everyone* to walk or roll. The article followed an announcement by Minister Steel in The Canberra Times[$] that ‘More than 1.3km of footpaths will be either laid or upgraded in [four] of Canberra’s older suburbs’ as part of the Age-Friendly Suburbs program. Comments in both media outlets supported our position.
