Meet the Volunteers Powering Our Federal Election Advocacy Campaign

““The status quo in Australia is not good enough. I love to cycle and walk, but the biggest barrier is feeling safe...you can’t help but wonder how many more people would be walking and cycling if we made it more accessible...”

Throughout the run-up to this year’s Federal Election, Better Streets is campaigning to significantly increase funding for walking and cycling in towns and cities across Australia. Our goal is to boost the Australian Government's funding commitment from just $0.90 per person to a modest $15 per person, every year of the next decade. This article in The Conversation sets out the case for more investment.

We invite organisations and individuals around Australia to join us in demanding that parties and candidates across the political spectrum commit to investing $400 million a year in the infrastructure we need to enable people to walk and ride a bike.

Meet Our Dedicated Volunteers

Our campaign is powered by passionate volunteers who are dedicated to making a difference in their communities. These individuals are working tirelessly to advocate for better walking and cycling infrastructure, and we are proud to share their stories.

This week, we’re talking with Catherine Meister who has been leading the creation of our Better Streets campaign marketing materials. 

Dr. Catherine Meister studied a double degree in arts and science, majoring in history and chemistry, before completing a PhD in chemistry at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. Following her PhD, Catherine completed an industrial postdoc in Frankfurt, Germany, and was working as a medical writer before joining the Sydney Mathematical Research Institute in June 2024.

Question: Why do you want better streets in your neighbourhood?

"It's important to invest in infrastructure that centres the needs of people, rather than designing our neighbourhoods around car use. Everybody spends some time on footpaths, even car drivers. Often the most vulnerable people in society, such as children and older adults, are more dependent on our active transport infrastructure as their primary way to get around. Our priority should be giving people safe spaces to walk and cycle: for their health, hip-pocket, the environment, and for children to have agency and independence."

Question: Why are you volunteering to support Better Streets + the open letter?

"The status quo in Australia is not good enough. I love to cycle and walk, but the biggest barrier is feeling safe. Between navigating terrible sidewalks, stroads, and bike lanes that suddenly vanish, you can't help but wonder how many more people would be walking and cycling if we made it more accessible (we certainly have the weather for it!). Investing in infrastructure to support safe active transport is my number one election issue—it's a no-brainer when you think of the flow-on benefits to health, air-quality, household budgets, and equality of opportunity."

Want to Get Involved?

We invite you to join Catherine and our other dedicated volunteers in advocating for better walking and cycling infrastructure. Together, we can create safer, healthier, and more sustainable communities across Australia.

We are looking for more volunteers to help us in this important campaign! If you are passionate about making a difference and can commit to volunteering your time (ideally 3 hours/week), please submit your interest to Sam Johnson, Vice President of Better Streets Australia, at sjohnson@betterstreets.org.au.

Stay tuned for more volunteer profiles and updates on our campaign. Together, we can make a difference!