Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2004 22:57:27 +1100 To: massbug@massbug.org.au From: Sam Byrne Subject: Responses to Your Questions from The Greens Dear MASSBUG Local Election Committee, Thanks for all your work in our community. We are lucky to have you. Please find below a joint response to your questions from all of the Green Marrickville candidates. Don't hesitate to contact me for more information. 1. Ecological sustainability is one of the four principles of The Greens and it is a fundamental priority for the Marrickville Greens to make Marrickville more sustainable. The liveability of our local neighbourhoods is also a critical issue for us. We want Marrickville to reclaim its streets and rebuild its local sense of community. We would significantly increase investment in infrastructure that lessens the community's dependence on cars and fossil fuels, and makes our public spaces safer. Funding for the local bike network will be expanded. We would seek innovative programs to encourage the people of Marrickville to get out of their cars and start walking, cycling and catching public transport. We would lobby the NSW government for public transport improvements and consider running our own local public transport. We would work to establish more bicycle-friendly residential street closures to make our streets more liveable. 2. Physical activity is one obvious way in which the problem of childhood obesity can be reduced. Council should promote bicycle use by all ages and develop the infrastructure. Council should work to encourage parents to get their children walking to school. We would encourage schools to consider establishing a 'Walking Bus' where adults walk children to school along a set route picking up children at "stops" along the way. 3. Marrickville needs more than just bicycle routes. It needs dedicated bike lanes and paths as part of a coordinated network. This would make it safer to cycle. Drivers need to be educated further about driving with cyclists and we would investigate local strategies in this area. We strongly support the GreenWay project at Dulwich Hill which will one day deliver a dedicated cycleway from the Cooks River to Hawthorne Canal. The Greens would consult with the community on residential street closures that would provide safer areas for children to play and ride bikes. 4. The current bicycle expenditure at Marrickville Council of $50,000 a year (matched by the RTA) is a miniscule percentage of the overall engineering budget. We would support a substantial increase in this funding. A final percentage of the engineering budget for this spending should probably be determined after the new bike plan is researched and the community is consulted. We would be happy to spend half the new Roads to Recovery allocation on bicycle facilities. 5. We believe that there is a growing awareness of the health and environmental benefits of cycling at that this has contributed to the increase in numbers of Marrickville residents cycling to work. Some of this has come from the great work that has been done by organisations such as MASSBUG. The provision of some bicycle infrastructure has also probably contributed to this increase. 6. Apart from what we have mentioned in our responses to other questions, The Greens would ensure that the Council regularly promotes the benefits of cycling through its publications and media and with local events. Perhaps a Marrickville Bike Ride could be organised or even a Marrickville Bike Race. The demolition of the Camperdown Velodrome was a crime that Greens councillors voted against on Council. 7. The Greens see the development of a far more comprehensive Marrickville Bike Plan as a priority for the new Council and would support a substantial increase in the resources provided by Council for the development of the new plan and its implementation. We would commission an investigation of programs and initiatives successfully used elsewhere with a view to implementing them in Marrickville. We would aim to employ a Transport Planner for Marrickville to develop a strategic plan for transport across the municipality. The Greens would ensure that thorough community consultation occurs involving groups such MASSBUG and the community at large in the development of the new Bike Plan, the strategic Transport Plan and strategies for improving the liveability of the local community. Regards, -- Sam Byrne Marrickville Greens Councillor 11 Canonbury Grove Dulwich Hill NSW 2203 Phone: 02 9560 5755 Fax: 02 9560 5766 Mobile: 0408 231509