Across the Loddon Campaspe region, councils, schools and community organisations are working together to make walking, cycling and other forms of active travel easier, safer and more appealing for people of all ages. Through strategic partnerships, infrastructure investment and behaviour change programs, these initiatives are helping create healthier, more connected and more sustainable communities.
A key example of this collaborative approach is the partnership between Healthy Loddon Campaspe and Mount Alexander Shire Council, which has supported the implementation of the Mount Alexander Shire Active Transport Strategy 2023-2033. By applying a Health in All Policies approach, active transport has been positioned not only as a transport solution, but also as an important preventative health initiative that contributes to physical activity, mental wellbeing, social connection, liveability and environmental sustainability.
Through this partnership, active transport planning has been strengthened by public health expertise, ensuring infrastructure investment is complemented by programs that encourage behaviour change. A particular focus has been on engaging school-aged children, recognising that lifelong travel habits are often established early. By helping young people build confidence and independence when walking, cycling or scooting, communities are investing in the next generation of active transport users.
To read more about this initiative, please click here.
This focus on young people is reflected in the successful Kids Active Travel program delivered by the City of Greater Bendigo. Funded through a Victorian Government grant, the program worked with four Greater Bendigo schools to support active travel to and from school. The initiative aimed to increase physical activity among primary school students while providing schools and families with the resources, infrastructure and knowledge needed to make active travel a viable option.
The program delivered a range of practical initiatives tailored to the needs of individual school communities, including bike repair stations, active travel maps, road safety education, bike education programs, scooter, BMX and skateboard skill development sessions and school bicycle fleets to encourage active travel participation. These activities helped students build confidence, improve road safety awareness and develop practical skills that support active travel.
For more information about the Kids Active Travel Grants, please click here.
Alongside school-based initiatives, communities across the region are also being encouraged to embrace cycling as part of everyday life. One example is Biketober, a free, month-long cycling challenge coordinated by the City of Greater Bendigo. The annual event encourages residents, workplaces, schools and community groups to choose cycling for transport, recreation and fitness throughout October.
The challenge highlights that every ride counts, whether it is a trip to school, a commute to work, a visit to the shops or a recreational ride with family and friends. In 2025, 170 people registered for the challenge, completing more than 1,500 trips and travelling over 23,000 kilometres. The event also attracted 76 new participants, demonstrating growing community interest in active travel.
For more information about Biketober, please click here.
Article written with contributions by Simone Hooppell, HLC Health Broker Mount Alexander; Piper Normoyle, HLC Health Broker Evaluation and Research; Johanna Colquhoun, Population Health Officer at City of Greater Bendigo