National level

It’s just one week until New Zealand’s national day to celebrate walking on Wednesday 13 March. 

A Backward Step For Everyone Who Walks

Living Streets Aotearoa, the national pedestrian advocacy organisation, is very concerned about Transport Minister Simeon Brown's direction to NZTA (Waka Kotahi) to end funding for local councils' walking and cycling projects. This is a short-sighted, ideological decision that will come back to haunt the Government.

Ahead of a new government being formed, Waka Kotahi has paused funding to a programme designed to speed up adoption of more sustainable modes of travel.

Living Streets President, Tim Jones, criticised Waka Kotahi's move. “There are many benefits of walking and other non-car modes, that we need to see accelerated for both health and climate action,” he said.

Living Streets Aotearoa is disgusted that a public agency has put the interests of private companies ahead of the public interest. Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has approved the renewal of the E-scooters (Declaration not to be motor vehicles) Gazette Notice for a further 5 years exactly as it has been since 2018.

We wonder why Waka Kotahi (NZTA) bothered to consult when it has apparently ignored:

Living Streets Aotearoa is expanding. We are excited to offer two opportunities for paid part-time positions to support and extend the advocacy that Living Streets Aotearoa does. Are you interested in working for us or know someone who is? Please share this information.

It’s been a long time since we have had paid staff and we expect with the creation of these two roles to be able to offer members a better deal and expand our advocacy work to put walking more in the spotlight and on the map.

The two roles are

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