Whitehorse Council budget again short-changes cyclists

Whitehorse Council has again produced a budget with woefully inadequate provision for cycle paths and other infrastructure.

Council has allocated just $327,000 for cycling which covers just one Easy Rides route and some minor unspecified cycle related items.

We have lodged a submission Arguing for more funding and a new approach, particularly in view of the COVID-19 crisis. In a nutshell, our submission:

• Seeks redress of the habitual underfunding by doubling the current year provisions and tripling in subsequent years;
• Notes the greatly increased cycling take up due to the Covid-19 outbreak;
• Points out the disparity of cycling investment compared to general recreational and roads funding;  
• Calls for ‘big picture’ thinking in leveraging existing infrastructure and working in partnership with the state government; and
• Calls for a Council resolution to require officers to increase cycling funding in the future as well as a more holistic approach to cycle planning.

You can read our full submission here.