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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-02-14 Daily Xml
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TRAVELSMART INNOVATION FUND

The Hon. B.V. FINNIGAN (15:03): I am glad to see that my contributions enthuse the opposition so much.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. B.V. FINNIGAN: The Hon. Mr Ridgway knows that he will now have questions for the next week because he can piggyback off mine. I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The council will come to order, unless members would like to waste question time and are not prepared to hear the Hon. Mr Finnigan.

The Hon. T.J. Stephens interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Stephens will come to order and show the same courtesy that is afforded to him when he is on his feet.

The Hon. B.V. FINNIGAN: I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Road Safety a question about the TravelSmart Innovation Fund.

Leave granted.

The Hon. B.V. FINNIGAN: More South Australians are becoming aware of the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to ensure future sustainability. Will the minister advise how the state government is advocating efficient car use through the TravelSmart Innovation Fund?

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (15:05): I, too, am amused at how pleased members opposite are to see questions being asked on this side. This Saturday 16 February the government will ask South Australians to think of creative and innovative ways of encouraging active travel, other than our own private cars. An advertisement will appear in The Advertiser announcing that TravelSmart Innovation Fund grants, ranging from $500 to $5,000, will be available for groups to introduce grassroots initiatives into local communities.

The grants provide the opportunity to explore creative and innovative ways of reducing our reliance on cars. The Rann government is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and one of the best ways of doing this is to encourage transport means other than private cars. Alarmingly, South Australians produce nearly 30 million tonnes of greenhouse gases every year and transport accounts for 19 per cent of these emissions.

The TravelSmart Innovation Fund was set up last year and $40,000 was distributed to nine initiatives and about 1,000 people participated in some way. I am pleased to advise that this government is making $50,000 available this year. The outcomes achieved last year have demonstrated that, if given the opportunity, workplaces, schools and community groups are happy to reduce their reliance on cars. An excellent example of how the funds were put to work last year was at Flinders University, where students were assisted in making the switch from car to bike. The students who committed to riding to the university on at least one day a week were given jerseys and other support mechanisms, including improved infrastructure.

Students from Bute Primary School, Mawson Lakes Primary School and Edwardstown Primary School participated in the creation of interactive displays, walking school bus stop signs and story books that promoted travel smart messages. This year community groups, schools, workplaces, local councils and other government departments will again be invited to apply for TravelSmart Innovation Fund grants. The funds will support projects that make it easier for people to choose safe and healthy travel modes, such as walking, cycling and public transport, encourage people to access local activities, shops and services and assist workplaces and/or schools where a commitment has been made to a plan or strategy for travel behaviour change.

The grantees must demonstrate that the grant will be used to create partnerships across and within communities to enhance the uptake of active transport choices and gain the active participation of adults and children in choosing active travel modes, as well as assist workplaces and/or schools where a commitment has been made to a plan or strategy for travel behaviour change. Put simply, this government does not want to exhaust our planet. It will be a requirement that the recipients of this year's TravelSmart Innovation Fund grants provide a report at the completion of the initiative/project. I eagerly look forward to reading the results.

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