WALKING WA Committee

• Role of Committee
• Background
• Vision
• Objectives
• Key Tasks
• Membership

Committee's Role

The Walking WA Committee exists to promote strategies to increase walking in Western Australia.

The Committee’s main roles include:

• supporting at a strategic level, the implementation of ongoing Western Australian initiatives such as Perth Walking, walking initiatives associated with the Physical Activity Taskforce and the Sustainability Policy;

• advising the Government (Minister for Planning and Infrastructure), through the Director General, Department for Planning and Infrastructure, on the progress of various strategies and initiatives; and

• advising on policies and strategic initiatives that enhance walking, including making formal submissions and representations to reviews of policies and programs.

The Committee’s Terms of Reference (pdf 133kb) are consistent with the goals of the Australian Pedestrian Charter and the International Charter for Walking.

Background

Perth Walking: The Metropolitan Region Pedestrian Strategy was the first strategy to be produced that clearly identified the importance of walking as a transport mode, and its benefits for health and recreation.

Subsequently, other major government initiatives have commenced which have a direct bearing upon walking and pedestrians and take a more whole-of-Government/community approach. The Physical Activity Taskforce comprises senior officers across Government and community agencies who have developed targets and implementation plans to increase physical activity levels across the Western Australian population. A number of these targets are directly related to walking, such as the priorities of developing physical and social environments, communication and building community capacity.

The Sustainability Policy draws on extensive research findings across many western countries to provide guidelines to ensure that our sustainable resources are used and enjoyed by all Western Australians, without causing irreparable damage for future generations. A reduced use of motor vehicles and increased walking/pedestrian activities will greatly improve our sustainable resources.

The Committee has a key role to play in supporting these strategies and taking initiatives that promote and highlight the importance of walkers/pedestrians.

Vision

The Committee's vision is:
to achieve a substantial increase in the number of West Australians who choose walking for transport, health and recreation.

Objectives

The key objectives of the Committee are to:

1. increase knowledge and awareness of professional leaders in the community of the benefits of walking;
   
2. liaise with consumers in the local community on walking issues;
   
3. influence the development of strategic and local walking plans;
   
4. promote the continued provision and maintenance of safe and secure walking environments; and
   
5. seek opportunities to develop partnership initiatives with agencies involved in walking.

Key tasks

The Committee's key tasks with regard to walking policies and strategies are to:

• contribute to the development of strategic plans in State and local governments;
  
• assist the integration of various walking programs in representative agencies;
  
• communicate/share information;
  
• recommend priorities and funding options for walking initiatives; and
  
• celebrate and reward achievements.

The Committee is a major partner of the Walk WA: A walking strategy for Western Australia (First year implementation plan) (pdf 834kb).

Membership

Organisations included in the membership of the Walking WA Committee are: Department for Planning and Infrastructure; Main Roads WA, Sport and Recreation; Health WA; Department of Education and Training; Office of Seniors' Interests; Disability Services Commission; Local Government; National Heart Foundation; Murdoch University; Physical Activity Taskforce; Walking Reference Group; Sustainable Transport Coalition.

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