As students return to school across the Heathcote electorate this week, Maryanne Stuart MP has encouraged children to safely walk or ride their bikes to school.

The New South Wales Government is supporting students seeking to take a more active journey to school through the $10 million Active Transport to School program.

The program will fund small projects in walking and riding, making it easier and safer for students to travel to and from school, and will deliver upgrades including wider footpaths, safer crossings and new trees over the next two years.

Data shows only 25 per cent of NSW school children currently walk or ride to and from school, down from 75 per cent 40 years ago, meaning less incidental exercise for children and more traffic outside the school gates. 

The initial $10 million fund will widen footpaths, upgrade the quality of crossings and plant shady street trees in areas surrounding schools. Funding for individual Active Travel to School projects will range from $50,000 to $800,000 with projects being delivered within two years.

To help parents and carers to encourage their children to walk or bike riding to school, the NSW Government is also looking at incentives and educational programs that promote the benefits of active transport and how to safely walk or ride to school.

Quotes attributable to Maryanne Stuart MP, Member for Heathcote:

“The Heathcote electorate contains some of the most beautiful environments in Australia and we want to ensure that children are able to safely use them for their travel to class each day.”

“This investment will ensure that children are able to take as must advantage as possible of all the health and wellbeing effects of incidental exercise during their school travel.”