POLICY CONTEXT

Federal Government

• Walking, Riding and Access to Public Transport 2013 provides recommendations and case studies on walkability and cycle-ability in different parts of Australia. It mentions incorporation of walking and cycling strategies within State and local council’s reports, prioritizing the achievement of ‘20-minute neighborhood’.

• National Road Safety Strategy 2011-2020 is a report that discusses broad road safety principles that should be incorporated into future transportation planning. It lists out actions, objectives and road safety goals such as Safe Roads, Safe Speeds, Safe Vehicles and Safe People.

Victorian State Government

• Plan Melbourne 2017-2050 outlines transportation issues within Melbourne, which includes congestions, parking, unreliable and inefficient public transport system, and unsafe road conditions for cyclists and pedestrians. It mentions pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods and implementation of cycling networks as part of its policies in achieving a ‘20-minute neighborhood’ (DELWP, 2017, p.72).

• Transport Strategy 2030 is a report written by the City of Melbourne, outlining overview, strategies and actions in dealing with transportation in Victoria. The report is written in accordance with Plan Melbourne 2017-2050, listing the following walkability and cycle-ability objectives:

• Outcome 1: Safe streets for people

1.3. Design safe and accessible streets for everyone

1.7. Deliver physically protected environments for people through innovative urban design

• Outcome 2: Safe streets for bike riding

2.1. Deliver our proposed network of protected bicycle lanes into and through the central city

2.2. Make every street safer for cycling

• Outcome 6: More people riding bikes

6.1. Deliver community programs to get more people riding bikes

6.2. Support a review of the road rules to support safe and efficient cycling

• Outcome 11: Vehicle automation supporting people-focused city

11.1. Capture the road safety potential of vehicle automation to protect vulnerable road users.

City Of Whittlesea

• Whittlesea 2040: A place for all is a report resulted from consultations held between the City of Whittlesea and its community on the future they envision for themselves and the city in 2040. This report includes four objectives, with one of them being “Liveable Neighborhoods” (City of Whittlesea, 2017, pp.14-15). This goal outlines the following challenges and actions:

• Challenges:

• Transport infrastructures

• User’s safety

• Congestions

• Actions:

• Smart, connected transport network

• Well-designed neighborhood and town centers

• Housing for diverse needs

• Integrated Transport Strategy 2014 provides in-depth details on road conditions, actions, monitoring and evaluation of Whittlesea’s transportation. The following sections discuss walking and cycling within Whittlesea:

Walking

• Walking roles

• Provides access to local activities

• Recreational routes for enjoyment or routes that lead to recreational activities

• Walking issues

• Route continuity & safety

• Shortage of local destinations

• Existing Strategies

• Action W2.1: Work with schools to promote walking

• Action W2.2: Promote walking by assisting in the establishment of a walking advocacy groups

Cycling

• Cycling roles

• Provide access to local activities

• Provide cross regional and cross-city access

• Recreational routes

• Cycling issues

• Route continuity & safety

• Distance & signage

• Existing Strategies

• Action C2.1: Prioritize bicycle infrastructure in Council’s plan

• Action C3.1: Work with schools to promote cycling

Local Context Place

• Epping North-Wollert is located in the rural North of Whittlesea. Epping Road, Craigieburn Road and Oherns Road are the main arterial roads, providing North-south and East-west connections (City of Whittlesea, n.d.).

• Most of the suburb consists of growing residential properties (detached houses) and industrial developments. Non-urban areas consist of forests and farmlands for cattle grazing, poultry, horse and dog breeding (City of Whittlesea, n.d.).

People

• Epping North-Wollert has a population of 42,673, with an average household size of 3.18 living in 14,128 dwellings (Informed Decisions, 2021). 51.3% of current households are young family (Informed Decisions, 2021), living in separated houses (82.7% of all dwelling types) (Informed Decisions, 2016). 28.2% of young family are considered low-income households, defined by weekly income of less than $800 (Informed Decisions, 2016).

• 50.5% of Whittlsea’s residents work outside of their lived area (Informed Decisions, 2021). Residents cite “work” as the main purpose of travelling outside of their lived area, with 153601 trips daily averaging out at 17.8 KM and 39 minutes travelled distance and time respectively (Department of Transport, 2020).

Source: Google Maps. Accessed September, 2022

Source: Google Maps. Accessed September, 2022

Source: Department of Transport (2020)

Key Observations

Source: Department of Transport (2020)

• Car ownerships and reliance on cars are interlinked with land use patterns and access to amenities. Suburbs with detached housings are reliant on cars, due to zoning provisions that prevent incorporation of different building mixes. This, in turn, leads to long travel distances to access local amenities and employment. Households in limited/low accessibility to public transport areas were the highest spenders on motor vehicle fuel, at an average of $69 per week (ABS, 2017). This leads to urban development that prioritizes car-centric actions and planning, which further affects walking and cycling.

• Household with limited accessibility to local transportation and amenities are more likely to spend more of their income on transport. Households in moderate or limited/low accessibility areas spent the most on overall transport costs, at 15% to 16% of their total spending on goods and services ($223 to $268 per week) (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2017). This affects the suburb’s overall economic growth, leading to housing affordability issues.

• Suburbs that walk and cycle less are more prone to health issues such as diabetes, obesity, and asthma. Car usage also contributes to noise and air pollution, which can negatively impact residents’ health and well-being.

FUTURE OF EPPING NORTH/WOLLERT

• There is a disconnect between supply and demands for detached houses in Melbourne (Kelly, 2011). Around 48% of people want to live in detached houses, despite a supply of 72% detached houses currently available with a projected 68% growth in detached houses in the coming years (Kelly, 2011). Implementing and encouraging housing diversity is an opportunity for Epping North to accommodate growing population and density. This will free up land for more diverse uses such as walking and cycling infrastructures, employment, shops and help solve housing affordability issues. This also lowers reliance on cars as more amenities are introduced, thus reduces the amount of time and distance travelled with increased accessibility.

• About 24.4% of Whittlesea’s residents engaged in no physical activities, 35.6% engaged in four or more days of physical activities per week (VicHealth, 2016). Only 51.7% of Whittlesea’s residents feel like they live in a close-knit community (VicHealth, 2016). Physical and mental well-being of residents can be improved through implementing programs that promote and encourage walking and cycling. This provides residents with opportunities to engage with their community, forming connection, while improving overall wellbeing of the community.

Source: METRO ARIA Public Transport (SA1) 2014, AURIN map (Accessed October, 2022)