Getting active on bikes and scooters is about to get a lot easier in Southland, thanks to a major collaboration between Invercargill City Council, Southland District Council, Waka Kotahi, and Active Southland’s Healthy Families Invercargill team.  

The group of like-minded organisations are working together on a series of initiatives resulting from the Transport Choices programme, a $348 million funding package administered by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency under the government’s emissions reduction plan, made available from the Climate Emergency Response Fund (CERF).  The objective is to create greater transport choices for people across New Zealand and demonstrate what’s possible for communities across Aotearoa New Zealand, by quickly providing people with more transport options, and making it easier to travel in ways that are good for all of us and our environment. Southland has received $800,000 as part of that fund.  

This region-wide collaboration will include a portable pump track for use throughout Southland, a pump track established at a local Invercargill high school, a series of bike skills events, the installation of Locky Dock secure bike parking in several locations throughout the region, and the creation of a trailer full of bikes and scooters for use at community events. The trailer will be owned by Cycling Southland and as well as being used at community events, will also be used as part of the school-based Bike Ready programme.

Healthy Families Invercargill Active Transport Innovator Laura Thompson said the overall purpose of the initiatives was to support communities to thrive by creating transport choices that are more affordable, reduce living costs, and in the long term, help address climate change.  

“We need to change the way our communities travel in and around our towns and cities. By providing communities with alternatives, we are not only creating opportunities for change, but we are supporting methods that will help our communities become safer, healthier, and more sustainable for future generations.”  

“It’s particularly exciting that this is such a collaborative effort – we are all working together to respond to community feedback and create opportunities that the community has told us they want.”  

Invercargill City Council Manager - Strategic Asset Planning, Russell Pearson, said councils had a key responsibility to ensure the wellbeing of their communities, and initiatives such as those linked with Transport Choices would help create opportunities for residents and visitors to be more active and build skills and confidence around cycling, scootering, and skateboarding.  

"We are thrilled to be able to work with our community to create these fantastic opportunities for our residents and visitors, in a way that will enhance our city and make it more usable, safer, and connected.”  

Southland District Council Strategic Manager Transport, Hartley Hare, said initiatives that helped regions become safer, healthier, and live more sustainably, were essential parts of building thriving communities.  

“As a council, we want to make sure that not only are our communities thriving here and now, but that we are building opportunities that ensure they continue to thrive in the future. Through the initiatives included in the Transport Choices package, we are doing exactly that – creating opportunities for communities to be more active, to think differently about how they move in and around our region, and to make sustainable changes that address climate change.” 

Kathryn King, Urban Mobility Manager at Waka Kotahi, said that no matter where people live, they should be able to move easily in and around towns and cities in ways that help protect our climate. 

“Providing people with more transport options will help make our towns and cities better and more people-friendly places to live, work, and visit, helping more kids to get around under their own steam and allowing more people to have different ways of getting to where they need to go safely. The package is an ambitious program of work that will open our streets and help people in communities.” 

“Transport Choices is just one initiative within the CERF programme that will enable people across the country to be part of Aotearoa New Zealand’s climate response. Emissions aren’t just an urban issue; we’re all going to have to pitch in to create a better future.” 

Article added: Monday 29 May 2023