Case studies

All new major developments in Queensland are now required to provide end-of-trip facilities for cyclists, runners and walkers under an amendment to the Queensland Development Code (QDC) that came into effect on 26 November 2010. End-of trip facilities include secure bike racks, lockers and showers for the use of commuters.

Buildings required to provide these facilities include office buildings, shopping centres, tertiary education facilities and hospitals. The amended QDC applies to buildings greater than 2000 metres squared and building additions greater than 1000 metres squared.

Full details of the new requirements can be found on the Queensland Department of Infrastructure and Planning website.

Three years ago Ashby set up an active travel committee of eight senior students. The committee motivates students to be involved in active travel and helps to organise and run school events.

In 2007, Ashby’s active travel committee started conducting monthly Hands Up! surveys in each class and logging the results with Bicycle Victoria. The committee has regular meetings and does whatever possible to promote walking and riding to school. This ranges from: making posters, giving out prizes, providing active travel passports, putting articles in the school newsletter, promoting events, managing the corridor active travel noticeboard, to helping organise events such as Ride2School Day, Ride to Work Day, Walk Safely to School Day and Walk to Work Day.

Ashby Primary School Active Travel Timeline

• 2003 – A walking school bus program was introduced by parents who volunteered to walk groups of children to school along set routes
• 2006 – Bicycle Education was introduced with the help of four Bike Ed trained instructors (two teachers, a community volunteer and a parent)
• 2006 – Teachers started to opt to take kids to local school outings on foot, rather than on a school bus
• 2007 – A sustainable bike shed was built by volunteers using grant money
• 2008 – The school was awarded a Telstra Kids Grant. The school bought four bikes and helmets, as well as painted line markings on the playground for Bike Ed classes.

You can find further information and contact details on the Ashby Primary School website.

The City of Melbourne’s Wheels and Heels program was a community consultation program focused on developing sustainable transport such as walking, cycling and access to public transport.

Through Wheels and Heels the City of Melbourne asked targeted communities for suggestions on how to make sustainable transport easier to use and access in their local areas. This data was used by the City of Melbourne to help make cycling and walking safer and more convenient and to make parking easier for residents.

The program was conducted in four metropolitan areas; South Yarra, North and West Melbourne, Kensington, and Southbank. The surveys and presentations used in this consltation are attached below.

For more information on the Wheels and Heels program, see the City of Melbourne website.

Adelaide City Council has launched Tindo, the first electric bus that can be recharged using solar energy.

The vehicle’s power will come from a solar photovoltaic system (PV) installed on the roof of the new Adelaide Central Bus Station.

The solar PV system generates almost 70 000 kilowatt hours of zero-carbon-emissions electricity each year – the city’s largest grid-connected PV system.

International research suggests people strongly prefer electric buses to those powered by other means, such as diesel engines.

Electric buses can operate in busy City streets and residential neighbourhoods in a clean and quiet manner, which makes them very popular with both passengers and the public.

For more details about the Tindo bus system, see the attached report or visit the Adelaide City Council website.