GREATER Bendigo could build a pedestrian "superhighway" connecting Commonwealth Games venues under one idea to help break the city's reliance on fossil-fuel guzzling vehicles.
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The topic might be one added to whiteboards at a public forum next Tuesday zeroing in on ways to slash hundreds of thousands of tonnes of emissions belched out of vehicles across the municipality every year.
Walking and cycling paths could link up more areas along the Bendigo Creek, City of Greater Bendigo climate change manager Michelle Wyatt said.
"It would be within range of about 80 or 90,000 residents and those sorts of initiatives would help people get around without their car more," she said.
It is still early days for that idea. The council is yet to sign off on works and its staff still need to work through any engineering and heritage challenges they could face.
"It's certainly something we would like to see state government support for - ideally with something ready to go for the Commonwealth Games in 2026," Ms Wyatt said.
"The ideal situation would be a cycling network that connected all of our Games venues to an athlete's village, with a cultural interpretation along the way to help residents and visitors understand the city they are in."
More paths could also leave a long-term legacy for Games organisers in a political environment where over delivery could become a political liability.
"You want to offer sports in the regions that leave them better off, not with white elephants," shadow sports minister Cindy McLeish recently said of closed-door deliberations the state government is leading.
The council is part of the Greater Bendigo Climate Collaboration, a group of organisations and individuals trying to cut emissions to as close to zero as possible by 2030.
"It's an opportunity for the community to tell us what it wants and to think about some of the projects people might want to work on together, particularly around transport behaviour change," Ms Wyatt said.
Experts will talk about the looming transition to electric vehicles and other potential ideas.
The bulk of Australia's growing transport emissions come from motor vehicles, according to the Climate Council.
The council might need to find ways to step in to help the shift to cleaner cars.
Part of the challenge is that most existing homes and businesses do not have electric charging stations.
"Our role might be varied depending on what happens in the private sector," Ms Wyatt said.
The Greater Bendigo Climate Collaboration's forum starts at 7pm on Tuesday at the Bendigo Regional Tennis Centre.
To learn more or to RSVP visit the Collaboration's website.
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Tom O'Callaghan
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
