Living Streets Canberra is a grassroots organisation of volunteers who work for everyone in Canberra to be able to enjoy public spaces and walk easily, safely and conveniently. Our views have been formed by lived experience and everything we do is courtesy of our volunteers – people like you!
We work for everyone – whether young or old; fast or slow; walking, sitting, commuting, shopping, between appointments, or out on the streets for exercise, for leisure or for pleasure.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
The more people who talk about the need for everyone to be able to enjoy public spaces and walk easily, safely and conveniently, the easier it is to get the changes needed to make our vision a reality.
Who should I talk to? How do I reach other people?
Talk to your friends and family.
Contact and get to know the ACT Ministers and your MLAs. Write them a letter or email. Ring their office. Go to their meetings and drop-in sessions. Talk to them in the street. Comment on their social media posts – and tag them in yours. Hints:
- Contact all parties. Backbench, opposition and cross bench MLAs may take up the issue with government on your behalf, particularly if it relates to their electorate or portfolio.
- Make sure you check details as MLAs and their portfolios can change.
- A picture is worth a thousand words. Photos and videos can help to make it clear what the problem is.
- Be concise. Politicians get a lot of incoming correspondence and contacts, so being brief and clear will help you stand out from the crowd and get your message heard.
- Be professional and polite. To ensure a reply to letters and emails, Provide your name and contact details.
Join in the conversations in local media outlets like ABC Canberra, The Canberra Times, The RiotAct and Canberra City News. Ring or text radio stations. Write a Letter to the Editor. Comment on social media posts. Remember to be polite and positive about what you want and why it matters: a carrot is more enticing than a stick.
Like, share and comment on our social media posts – and those of local MLAs. (Social media is a great way to join the wider conversation! We’re on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.)
ACT is a small community. Our elected representatives and media are pretty accessible, and we all know lots of people – so your contribution can make a real difference to swaying opinion and getting things done!
What can I talk about?
Talk about issues that matter to you about the ability – or not – for you and everyone to be able to enjoy public spaces and walk easily, safely and conveniently. What works well? What doesn’t work well? What is dangerous, inconvenient or uncomfortable? What would you like Canberra to have or do that would make it safe, easy, convenient and comfortable to be out walking and enjoying public spaces?
In our Submissions, you can see some of important issues in the ACT – and what we think can be done about them.
You can also find us talking about relevant issues on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
VOLUNTEER
We are a grass-roots organisation and our views are informed by lived experience.
The more of us there are, and the more diverse we are, the better we can do our work.
There are numerous ways that you can get involved with Living Streets Canberra. All relevant skills and knowledge are welcome. We’re always interested in policy or design skills, event organising, IT or admin support, graphic design, media engagement – and especially just your expertise as someone who walks or uses Canberra’s public space. We can also help with training for anyone who’s enthusiastic!
If you would like to help us to do our work, then please volunteer with us!