2 weeks ago FoE Melbourne launched a new Sustainable Cities Campaign with #WalkThisWay - a 15km community walk following Melbourne's iconic Capital City Trail.
Community members are concerned about another massive toll road through the middle of Melbourne, causing more traffic, creating more air and noise pollution, destroying the local environment and allowing more transport emissions locking us into extreme climate change.
Participants joined the walk to raise awareness about the proposed Westgate Tunnel toll road development and the climate change threats set to impact Melbourne.
Walk This Way saw 100 people get together to walk through where the Westgate Tunnel development could be built, hear about what some of the other FoE campaigns have been up to, and share their vision for a sustainable city. Participants also raised over $23,000 for Friends of the Earth through sponsorship for their walking efforts! Check out our VIDEO from the event, HERE.
After electricity, Victoria’s transport sector is the second largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the state. Sustainable Cities will be focussed on amplifying community voices opposed to the contentious Westgate Tunnel project in Melbourne's west.
The Westgate Tunnel toll road is not the path to transport solutions. This month the Victorian Minister for Planning, Richard Wynne, will be given the choice to listen the concerns from the community or lock us into decades more of toll roads for the west.
Transurban, the toll road giant, tried to convince Melbourne that we need an oversized toll road to solve the problems of our trucks on residential streets and traffic congestion in Melbourne’s west.
Now is the time to make sure the community's voice is heard as loud as possible. Email Richard Wynne your concerns here!
“Instead of clogging up the city with tunnels and tollroads, investing in public transport is the best way for Melbourne to rein in emissions and ensure this is a sustainable city for all” said Friends of the Earth’s Sustainable Cities Coordinator Rachel Lynskey during the walk on Saturday.
Thank you to all our supporters who made Walk This Way so successful:
Eco Soul Life donated 5 x $50 gift vouchers for their ecologically sourced, consciously created and zero waste collection of containers, camping utensils, cutlery and sustainable household, commercial and outdoor products to our winning walkers who smashed their fundraising goals for Friends of the Earth.
Loving Earth donated hundreds of chocolates to keep the Walk This Way participants moving with their healthy, sustainable and fair (and delicious!) products!
The FoE Food Coop and Cafe went above and beyond in creating beautiful food for the picnic and sourcing countless donations of snacks and fruit along the way.
And of course, thank you to everyone who came along to Walk This Way to get this campaign moving, and for making the day so memorable! If you didn't get a chance to donate on the day, there's still time to donate to your favourite FoE collective!