Cyclable Noosa 2030
Project description:
We are inspired by the example of Paris Mayor Annie Hidalgo, who in October 2021 set the goal of Paris becoming a 100% cycling city by 2026.
On 15 July 2021, Noosa Council adopted a Cycling and Walking Strategy and Implementation Plan, which has 385 projects and a completion date of 2040 based on business as usual funding. If the 33% of emissions attributable to transport are to be reduced, decarbonizing transport must be a priority action. A funding stream must be found which enables the 2040 date to be brought forward to at least 2030 or even earlier. ZEN believes that paid parking for visitors could be such a source, and that the Noosa community would support this if they were involved in the decision-making for the hypothecated investment of these funds in infrastructure to enable low emission transport choices.
We propose the employment of our Community Engagement Officer for an additional day per week for 6 months from July to December 2022, to engage directly with each of the coastal and hinterland Noosa communities to identify their priority projects from amongst the 385 contained in the Cycling and Walking Plan and seek their views on the proposed funding source. At the same time we would seek the community’s views on priority pathways for shade tree planting treatment.
At the end of the six months, ZEN would provide a report to Noosa Council on the preferred infrastructure and tree planting project priorities, together with the communities’ views on paid parking by visitors as a funding source. This report would then be available for Council to consider in its deliberations for the 23/24 budget and 10 year capital works program beyond.