A new $50 million injection into cycling and walking infrastructure will fund more than 90 projects across NSW.
Under the Get NSW Active program, 92 projects have secured funding, including 16 in Western Sydney and 40 in regional areas. The program is designed to address longstanding gaps in active transport infrastructure, particularly in suburbs where cycleways end abruptly, footpaths are non-existent, and pedestrian safety is compromised.
The funding aims to tackle design and construction works such as shared paths, footpaths, separated bike lanes, and new pedestrian crossings. Responsibility for implementation rests with local governments.
In Western Sydney, the City of Parramatta will receive $3.2 million to formalise the pop-up cycleway on Wigram Street and upgrade local pedestrian infrastructure. Blacktown City Council will use $2.1 million to extend shared paths around Lalor Park, while Penrith City Council has secured $875,000 to connect key destinations including Penrith Station and the Nepean River via Coreen Avenue.
Further west, Wollondilly Shire Council will deliver a shared path along East Parade in Buxton, linking the local park and primary school. Design works for a path linking Bailey Street to Parramatta Aquatic Centre have also been funded, including lighting and landscaping for pedestrian safety.
Regional NSW will see projects ranging from $1.25 million for footpaths at Cape Byron to $4.9 million for a 4.6-kilometre shared path along Plumpton Road in Wagga Wagga. Lismore City Council will receive $2.4 million for a six-metre-wide “boulevard” linking key recreational and transport nodes.
While the announcement highlights the health and community benefits of active transport, it also reflects long-delayed investment in basic infrastructure.
Several projects involve retrofitting or completing path networks that should have formed part of earlier urban planning.
Engineering consultants and council infrastructure teams are expected to be key to delivery, with the funding geared towards “construction-ready” projects.
