Far North Queensland Strategic Plan

Cairns Action for Sustainable Transport have made a substantial public submission on the draft Far North Queensland Strategic Plan and it is available for download here. The submission identifies the disconnection between the State Government's stated aims of achieving "sustainable transport" and their actual policies. It makes recommendations on adopting greenhouse reduction and mode share targets and also discusses the public transport needs of Far North Queensland.

Car Sharing in Paris

In Paris a massive public car sharing scheme has been proposed by the City's Mayor. 2000 cars in the central city and 2000 cars in the suburbs will be available for pick up and drop off at 700 different spots. The scheme is being targeted at young people who do not own a car to reduce their need to purchase their own.

Read the article
Clike here
OR http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/world/4834215

CAST's current Car Share policy is:
Encourage car sharing cooperatives and companies
• Government officers to develop guidelines for setting up a car-sharing cooperatives in Brisbane
• Advertise the concept and its benefits through billboards, public seminars and radio/TV advertisements
• Subsidise the purchase of “green” vehicles for co-ops and companies
• Provide car parking spaces for registered car share vehicles at various destinations

What do you think about the Paris scheme and what do you think about our policy? Comment below

Help stop the Hale Street Bridge

The Stop the Hale Street Bridge alliance are calling on people to
write to Anna Bligh regarding the Hale Street Bridge. They believe
public opinion, and even the opinion of the Courier Mail, is turning
on this project.

The No Tunnels / Community Action for Sustainable Transport letter has
been submitted today and you can read it here
http://www.notunnels.net/files/HaleSt28July08Bligh.pdf

Write your own quick letter to the Premier
South.Brisbane@parliament.qld.gov.au

Regional Development Funding Program

Federal parliament is running an 'Inquiry into a New Regional Development Funding Program'.

There are a number of public forums taking place around the country which you might be interested in:

* Cairns: Friday 25 July 2008
* Darwin: Monday 28 July 2008
* Perth: Wednesday 30 July 2008
* Launceston: Monday 4 August 2008
* Ballarat: Wednesday 6 August 2008
* Shepparton: Friday 8 August 2008
* Dubbo: Tuesday 12 August 2008
* Nowra: Thursday 14 August 2008

Please get along and show your support for major Federal public transport initiatives.

More info at:
<http://www.aph. gov.au/house/ committee/ itrdlg/regionald evelopment/>

Don’t miss the bus, Mr Rudd - CAST Media Release 16.07.08

Reducing the fuel excise and Federal investment in roads will not make travel affordable.

This is the message coming from a coalition of more than 20 transport and environmental groups who have signed off on an open letter to PM Kevin Rudd (Click here), urging the Federal government to invest heavily in public transport to reduce the impacts of rising petrol prices.

“The Federal government’s urban transport priority must be to create a public transport system that takes people where they need to go, when they need to be there. More than anything else we need better alternatives to the car,” said Tristan Peach, spokesperson for Community Action for Sustainable Transport QLD (CAST).

“Providing better public transport for people in Ipswich, the Gold Coast, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast means they will spend less on fuel, and households may not have to own a second or third car,” said Mr Peach.

“The Federal government are mad to be pouring money into the Northern Link tunnel and the Ipswich Motorway at a time when driving is becoming even more expensive,” said Mr Peach.

“This money should go into assisting the state government to duplicate and extend rail lines, provide increased public transport frequencies, more cross-city and outer suburban bus services and substantial lengths of dedicated cycling and walking infrastructure. These are the priorities,” said Mr Peach.

“A weekly ticket for unlimited public transport travel within 30km of the Brisbane CBD costs $40. Now that is affordable travel. We just need a public transport system that meets the needs of more people so they can benefit from these huge savings,” said Mr Peach.


Cairns Action for Sustainable Transport and Queensland Conservation Council also endorsed the open letter.