What is a greenway?

Greenways are routes, trails or natural corridors used in harmony with their ecological function. They foster the preservation of natural and cultural heritage, and provide options for safe transportation, recreation and cultural heritage. They are open space pathways that connect natural and cultural resources, educational institutions, neighbourhoods, communities and people.

What are the key features of a greenway?

These typically include:

• a linear corridor or trail, based on a current or disused transport corridor and an associated waterway or linear natural corridor

• provides public access and linkage of parks and open space at no cost to the user

• emphasis on sustainable and contemporary environmental thinking: ecology and biodiversity; sustainable and active transport; and features that build community

• coordination and synergy between stakeholders and actions in the corridor;

• encourages local residents to refocus on their neighbourhood and be directly involved in its environmental quality

• provides a motor vehicle-free linear "spine" active transport corridor that can be continuously accessed by foot, bicycle, wheelchair or other low-speed, low emission transport

• a sense of place that enhances a "sense of place", liveability and quality of life.

Where are Australia's greenways?

There are a wealth of trail projects in Australia that variously meet some of the greenway criteria.

Australia's first greenway was a community pathway constructed from 1990-95 over and alongside the former Toronto to Fassifern railway on the Central Coast of NSW. This was more of a trail or rail-trail however that did not share the holistic, multi-faceted corridor and catchment based approach of the true greenway.

More integrated, holistic greenways projects in consideration include:

• Great Kal'mia Way, Sydney - a vision for more than 200km of sustainable walking tracks and cycle ways linking Botany Bay, Woronora valley, large parts of southern and western Sydney and the Illawarra catchment.

• Sydney Green Ring - a concept of a ring of "green corridors" around Inner Sydney linking a number of trail and corridor proposals such as the Cooks River to Iron Cove Greenway.

• Merri Creek Trail, Melbourne - a 20km trail along Merri Creek and joining the Yarra Creek Trail to the south.

What greenways are happening in Brisbane?

A comprehensive report into "Proactive Bicycle Orientated Infill Development" was prepared by Mark Anthony Rossiter (2008). Amongst his proposals, Rossiter put forward a plan to create a network of Greenways throughout Brisbane. Rossiter points to a BCC 2005 study that found 45.7% of car trips in the CBD are for distances less than 3 kms - a distance easily covered by bicycle, regardless of fitness levels.

What can we learn from experiences overseas?

Europe boasts an extensive greenway and trail system through 25 countries with Greenway organisations established in most of these.

In London, the East London Green Grid Project aims to "create a network of inter-linked, multipurpose open spaces with good connections to areas where people live and work, public transport, the GreenBelt and the Thames."

What difference can greenways make to a community?

Greenways help to encourage alternative, greener modes of transport that can positively impact community, environmental and economic health in shifting reliance on the motor car, especially for short-distance journeys.

The facts speak for themselves:

• More than 1700 Australians are killed in traffic accidents every year.

• A further 4000 Australians are disabled every year as a result of car accidents.

• 48,000 people a year are hospitalised after car accidents

• Annually, 50 children die as a result of being hit by a car

• Children aged 0-14 years are twice as likely to die as a result of cars than drowning in backyard swimming pools

• Australia is the most obese country in the world with the cost to the economy estimated at $21B per annum (Access Economics, 2006)

• By 2025, it is estimated that nearly 28.9% of the nation's population will be obese

• The NSW Wildlife Information and Rescue Service estimates that 3400 native animals are killed every day on Australian roads.

• 475 gigajoules or 41 tonnes of CO2 is created in producing a car as opposed to 9 gigajoules for a bicycle

• Advances in personalised modes of transport mean that time-efficient low speed transport is now available. Devices such as the Segway PT for example have a range of up to 38km (for low-end models) and can achieve speeds of around 20 kms per hour.