Moyne Shire adopts detailed Port Fairy bicycle plan

The shire hired external advisors Tract Consultants to develop the plan, using a $30,000 grant from the TAC, as well as appointing a working group to engage with the community and ensure the views of locals shaped the plan's priorities.

The resulting strategy proposes dozens of changes, upgrades and new projects, but it doesn't commit council to implementing any of them.

Councillor Jordan Lockett said it was important council act on the recommendations in the plan.

"We've had a bike strategy that has sat there doing nothing for a long time since 2000," he said at the council meeting on Tuesday.

Moyne's infrastructure and environment director Edith Farrell said the new strategy would have a steering committee to ensure it's recommendations were put into action.

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The local community provided extensive feedback throughout the development of the plan, with residents from 10 different postcodes submitting their priorities for cycling infrastructure in Port Fairy.

Safety was the most important issue for people, with 86 per cent of respondents concerned about it. The accessibility of cycling routes was also a concern for 78 per cent of people, while on-road bike lanes (53 per cent), shared paths (43 per cent), and slowing down traffic (30 per cent) also being major issues.

Most people said they either cycled for exercise or as a leisure activity with their family, while about half cycled to run errands and only a quarter used bicycles to commute to work or school.

Locals said the highest priority project was building an underpass so the rail trail didn't have to cross the Princes Highway at the eastern edge of town. They also said the shared paths along Ocean Drive and Griffiths Street needed to be changed to make cycling safer along the two popular routes.

Cr Lockett said while Port Fairy was a good place to cycle, especially with young children, there were easy improvements that could make it great.

"I notice how dangerous it can be. I think it would be very easy to make Port Fairy very bike safe. There are simple things that could make it so much better," he said.

Cr Damian Gleeson said if the Port Fairy plan was successful it could be used as a template for other towns in Moyne Shire. He said this was another reason not to let it sit on the shelf.

"This strategy revolves around implementation, so we really must implement it."

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