Transport Strategies for Sustainable Outcomes
Session Description
Transport Strategies for Sustainable Outcomes investigated how local government and stakeholders can deliver economic, social and environmental benefits — both within their own operations and also to their communities — through an integrated and sustainable
approach to transport.
The session explored best practice examples from both Australia and New Zealand, and drew upon expert insights to highlight the actions and processes that all councils can implement today.
This highly interactive session invited delegates to share their experiences, hopes and challenges with other delegates, and to learn from them. With a focus on collaboration and engagement, 'Transport Strategies for Sustainable Outcomes' was thoughtfully designed to support delegates to build successful and beneficial sustainable transport programs.
 

Session Format
This two-hour session combined advice from expert speakers and interactive table discussion. The first portion of the session was devoted to a panel discussion facilitated by CCP staff member Michael Cann.
The second part of the session invited delegates to apply learnings from the panel discussion to their own organisations. An ICLEI Oceania table facilitator supported a structured discussion designed to explore:
• sustainable transport initiatives that should be ‘business as usual’ at all councils;
• internal processes required to implement programs successfully; and
• external stakeholders that can be engaged to maximise success.
 

Session Attendance
This session was attended by more than 50 conference delegates, representing a wide range of councils from across Australia and New Zealand. Participants included council officers, managers and elected members, as well as representatives from Vic Health and
the Commonwealth Department of the Environment and Water Resources.
Expert Speakers/Panel Summary
Speaker 3: Beth Riordan, Assistant Director of the Community Partnerships Team, Australian Greenhouse Office.
Key Focus & Messages
Beth Riordan provided a summary of the approach taken by the Australian Greenhouse Office to sustainable transport.  In particular, she highlighted the support provided to local government through the TravelSmart program. She commented that the AGO looks to local government to provide information on community needs, and on ways to improve the TravelSmart program.
Small Group Discussion Summary
Focus Questions
1. What sustainable transport initiatives should be ‘business as usual’ at all councils, but are not?
2. What processes within council would accelerate your sustainable transport programs?
3. What opportunities are there to collaborate with external stakeholders to accelerate your sustainable transport programs?
Prioritised Results from Discussion
Following discussion on each focus question, table participants prioritised a sub-set of responses to share with the wider group.
Delegates suggested that the following sustainable transport initiatives should be business as usual at all councils:
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• Councils should provide information to the community on active and public transport routes and timetables.
• Councils should adopt formal transport planning hierarchies that put sustainable options first.
• Councils should have fleet policies that favour smaller, more efficient vehicles, including bicycles.
• Councils should adopt urban planning schemes that incorporate sustainable transport as a high level priority.
• Where vehicle entitlements are part of staff salary packages, staff should be able to cash in this entitlement, and should be offered a sustainable transport alternative.
• Councils should participate in vehicle emissions offset programs.
• Councils should lead with their own practice, and should engage their own staff in sustainable transport behaviour change programs.
• Councils should communicate to their communities about the importance and benefits of sustainable transport.
Delegates recognised that the following organisational processes are important to the success of sustainable transport programs:
• Specific sustainable transport key performance indicators (KPI) must be introduced into managers’ work plans.
• Specific budget entries should be introduced for sustainable transport.
• Councils should formulate clear and ambitious targets and develop strategies plans to achieve them. These strategies and plans need to involve the whole of council.
• Councils have some scope to introduce incentives for the adoption of green travel plans.
• Because sustainable transport is interdisciplinary, it is important to formulate a cross-council sustainable transport team.
• Council policy and budget should prioritise the improvement of sustainable transport infrastructure.
• It can be useful to bring in new staff/champions or even consultants to break
organisational log jams.
• Gather emissions and energy use data and use as a communication tool.
• Gather best practice examples and use these to inspire or to shame people into
action.
• It is important for council activities to consider its community’s transport needs in
detail and to set about delivering benefits holistically.
Delegates recognised the importance of collaboration in delivering sustainable transport
outcomes. They suggested the following priorities for working with others:
• Build relationships with other local governments (sister councils) to share
information.
• Build relationships with the state government through local government
associations.
• Improve cooperation between transport and health agendas.
• Collaborate with public transport providers and state authorities.
• Collaborate with community advocacy groups and work together to increase the
appeal of sustainable transport through social marketing.
• Engage the private sector.
• Advocate either individually or through regional or state associations in the area of
fringe benefits tax and other subsidies to private vehicles.
• Engage directly with transport users, or the transport ‘market’ to understand
needs.
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Session Outcomes
Leading councils have demonstrated that it is feasible and beneficial for councils to play
an active role in sustainable transport. Successful sustainable transport programs are
found to rely on thorough organisational policy integration and management support.
Councils acknowledge and appreciate learning from other councils, rather than having to
reinvent good programs from scratch.
Local governments are seen to have an important role to play, especially when it comes
to engaging the community on their transport needs. There is a need to communicate the
importance of our transport choices in a clearer and more compelling way.
There are some issues such as public transport, tax incentives and subsidies that require
leadership on a regional or national level. Councils expressed the need for state and
federal governments to support sustainable transport in a systematic way.
 

Additional Resources
Sustainable Transport Session ‘Topic Resource Page’ www.iclei.org/index.php?id=6245
ICLEI Oceania’s sustainable transport web pages www.iclei.org/index.php?id=4278
TravelSmart: www.travelsmart.gov.au
Session Manager/Facilitator
Michael Cann, CCP Sustainable Transport Project Manager, michael.cann@iclei.org
Session Team
Michael Oke, CCP Australia Manager - Projects
Paula Arcari, CCP State Manager (SA)
Tahl Kestin, CCP Australia Coordinator - Technical
Nycole Wood, CCP Australia – Technical Assistant
Liam O’Keefe, former CCP State Manager (QLD/NT)