Victoria has updated its Climate Change Strategy and associated transport pledge:
The strategy points out that 26% of Victoria’s emissions are from transport, and most of that is from cars:
The strategy states that we’ll use the avoid-shift-improve method to reduce transport emissions, i.e.:
- avoid: build a denser inner city, so people can avoid driving, or can travel a shorter distance to access jobs and services
- shift: invest in infrastructure to enable people to choose to walk, bike, or take public transport, instead of driving
- improve: finally, support people to change to EVs
Again, we recommend that the best way to achieve these aims, i.e. to reduce emissions from transport is to change key policies, i.e.:
- Fund walking and biking on council controlled streets via grants of up to $100 per person per year to each council in Victoria, i.e. $10 million per year for Yarra from a total of $0.7 billion per year.
- Deliver the VicRoads Principal Bicycle Network on state government controlled arterial roads, with a budget of $100 million per year; including revitalising arterial shopping streets with wider footpaths, protected bicycle lanes, protected intersections and level access tram stops.
- Manage driving congestion on state government controlled roads by imposing demand responsive driving charges.
- Speed up trams by using smart traffic lights to clear intersections as trams approach.
- Reform the bus networks that link to each suburban train station.
- Eliminate costly parking mandates from all planning schemes across Victoria, and expand the off-street parking levy to encompass all inner-city properties within the Principal Public Transport Network area.
Published 21 November 2025