Taking a Deep Dive into Our Federal Election Ask #1: Comprehensive Regional City Networks
Speaking out for regional communities in the run-up to a Federal Election
Throughout the run-up to this year’s Federal Election, we’re 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.
Our proposed $400 million a year National Active Transport Infrastructure Program would fund:
Regional City Networks: To start by supporting 15 regional cities and rapidly growing peri-urban areas to build connected walking and cycling paths, inspired by Wagga Wagga’s highly successful 56 km network.
Cycling Superhighways: To build fully connected city-wide networks to major employment, education, and tertiary centres in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.
E-bike Subsidy Program: To address the affordability crisis for households, establish a national scheme to make cycling accessible for all, scaling up the hugely popular state government schemes in Tasmania and Queensland.
Oversight for On-time Delivery: To create or scale up a dedicated unit in the Department of Infrastructure to support state, territory, and local governments to plan and deliver the national infrastructure program.
This article takes a deeper look at the difference that cycling and walking infrastructure investment will make in Australia's 26 largest regional cities, delivering better active travel outcomes over the course of the United Nations Decade of Sustainable Transport (2026 to 2035).
Right: Wagga Wagga locals enjoying the largest shared path network in Australia.
Investing in Australia’s growing regional communities
Better Streets uses the Regional Australia Institute’s definition of regional cities as those cities (other than the largest state capitals) with a population greater than 50,000. These 26 cities, collectively home to 5.1 million people, are growing fast, with an average increase in population of 17 percent since 2011. As these cities grow at an unprecedented pace, there is a real opportunity to ensure safe, connected and accessible active transport routes are delivered alongside other infrastructure. Learning from the larger capital cities and embedding an active transport culture from the beginning is an opportunity regional cities cannot miss.
Table 1: Regional Australian cities with populations greater than 50,000.
February 2025 analysis by Better Streets found that almost all the largest regional cities have a walking, cycling, active or integrated transport plan in place.
Broadly speaking, these plans all feature:
A commitment to increasing active transport mode share across the LGA, with identified targets
Identification of barriers to active transport uptake, including a lack of safe, connected and pleasant footpaths, and dedicated cycleways
Acknowledgement of the benefits that walking and cycling deliver to the local economy, public health, the environment, people’s safety and (in most of the plans) traffic congestion relief
An action plan to improve and expand cycling and walking networks
Most plans highlight that improving active transport infrastructure around schools is essential so that children and families can walk and ride more
Actions to ‘investigate’, ‘undertake a study’ or ‘develop further pieces of work’ related to walking and cycling infrastructure and projects - while stopping short of identifying specific projects and locations.
Despite the widespread desire among regional cities to invest and obtain benefits for their residents and visitors, there are challenges to be overcome.
Active transport planning challenges facing regional cities
Many regional cities face significant hurdles to turning their ambitions into projects. A primary issue is the absence of detailed designs and costings for specific initiatives. This gap can be attributed to a range of factors, including limited resources, tight budgets, and the complexities of navigating political landscapes. Moreover, many grant programs stipulate that projects must be shovel-ready, thereby excluding those that are still in the planning or design stages.
Furthermore, smaller regional cities, unlike their larger counterparts, do not experience the same population densities and traffic pressures. Consequently, there is often less political impetus to prioritise active transport projects. In areas where residents can still easily find convenient parking, the urgency to develop walking and cycling infrastructure diminishes, leading to a lack of community support for such initiatives.
Additionally, the scarcity of dedicated transport planners or teams within smaller regional local government areas (LGAs) further hampers progress. A recent survey of 17 regional councils in Victoria revealed that many smaller cities and shires lack specialised transport roles, relying instead on existing engineering and strategic planning staff to manage these responsibilities. This shortage of dedicated personnel results in a fragmented approach to planning and delivering sustainable and multimodal transport networks, ultimately stalling the advancement of active transport projects.
Tackling the challenges to deliver on active transport projects
To effectively deliver on active transport projects, regional cities require several key elements. First, there is a pressing need for funding to hire dedicated transport planners and engineers in regional councils and shires that have few or no staff in these specialised roles. This investment in human resources is crucial for the successful planning and implementation of active transport initiatives.
Moreover, regional cities need support to develop comprehensive walking, cycling, and integrated transport strategies and plans. These strategies should clearly identify and cost the necessary improvements and expansions of footpaths and cycleways. By having well-defined plans, cities can better prioritise and execute their active transport projects.
In addition, specific funding is essential for conducting studies, project investigations, and developing both concept and detailed designs. This financial support should also extend to shovel-ready projects, ensuring that initiatives are prepared for immediate implementation once funding is secured.
Furthermore, the development of national frameworks, such as road user hierarchies and movement and place frameworks, is vital. These frameworks can provide a standardised approach that all local government areas (LGAs) and active transport planning should adhere to, promoting consistency and best practices across the country.
Last, greater political support and leadership are needed to empower local governments to undertake politically sensitive active transport projects. By fostering a supportive political environment (including through for example, shared resources, communications and celebrating successful projects), regional cities can embrace bold and innovative active transport projects that will greatly benefit their entire communities.
What do we do next?
In conclusion, the need for comprehensive regional city networks is clear. Investing in walking and cycling infrastructure in Australia's regional cities will not only enhance the quality of life for residents but also contribute to broader economic, health, and environmental benefits. By addressing the challenges and providing the necessary support and funding, we can create vibrant, connected communities that prioritise active transport.
We urge you to support the Better Streets Australia Federal Election campaign. By advocating for increased funding and dedicated resources for active transport infrastructure, we can ensure that our regional cities are equipped to meet the demands of the future. Together, we can make a significant impact on the sustainability and livability of our towns and cities. Join us in making this vision a reality.
Article credit: This article was written by Better Streets volunteer Hannah Neumayer, with inputs from Better Streets board members Matt Faber and Sam Johnson.
