The Western Australia budget for the next fiscal year was revealed this week, and it includes ‘record investment’ in cycling and walking infrastructure.
The budget is headlined by $347 million for bike riding and walking infrastructure over the next four years. It expands upon the “150 kilometres of cycling and walking paths” that have been created for Western Australians since 2018.
This comes as good news for bike riders out west, after the Victorian Budget revealed comparatively meagre spending for bike riders, with only $21.8 million allocated for active transport.
While WA have far surpassed the VIC spend, their budget allocation for non-motorised transport ($347 million) is two per cent of the transport budget, which is well below the UN recommended proportion of 20 per cent of the total transport spending ($17.6 billion).
The increased infrastructure spending follows increased cycling participation rates in WA, with a 6 per cent increase across the state since 2019. Perth saw an 8 per cent increase in the number of people who rode a bike in 2021 when compared with 2 years prior, while regional bike riding also saw an uptick over the same period.
Around 61 per cent of households in WA own at least one bicycle, and improved infrastructure will encourage more people to use a bicycle for their school, work or shopping commute.
WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti highlighted the need to “build facilities that connect communities and are continuous across local government boundaries.”
Regional Western Australia has also been accounted for, with Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Great Southern and Gascoyne regions receiving funding for “attractive bicycle infrastructure” which will form “important recreational assets”.
Recent WA state government projects for bike riders includes the completion of the 74 kilometre Perth to Mandurah shared path earlier this year.
$8 million in investment was put towards 50 local government riding and walking projects over the next two years via the WA Bicycle Network Grants Program.
Under this scheme, state government funding is available to local governments for up to 50 per cent of the total project cost for walking and bicycle infrastructure.
Details of specific spending allocated in the budget towards cycling projects are provided below:
- $47 million to further expand local bicycle infrastructure through the Western Australian Bicycle Network (WABN) Grants Program and other projects;
- $62 million to continue the Principal Shared Path (PSP) Expansion Program;
- $46 million to deliver riding and walking facilities as part of major infrastructure projects including the Swan River Crossing Project, Mitchell Freeway projects (Hodges to Hepburn, Cedric to Vincent and Stephenson Avenue) and Tonkin Highway Extension;
- $35 million has been set aside to deliver a pedestrian and cycling bridge in East Perth to deliver better infrastructure connecting the community and train station; and
- $157 million through the Perth City Deal to deliver transformational active transport projects including the Causeway Pedestrian and Cyclist Bridge.
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