Women walking on our streets, in parks and near transport hubs will be safer due to a new $15 million investment by the Minns Labor Government to improve public spaces and transport hubs.
Surveys show 3 in 4 women in NSW would walk more if they felt safer in public spaces and 92% of women say that safety influences the routes they choose. Poor lighting and low foot traffic are key contributors, with this investment aiming to activate public spaces to make women safer.
The Safer Cities: Her Way 2 program will increase safety for people using public spaces with 26 local councils to deliver lighting, toilets, seating, tables, shade, activations and signage. There are two tiers of funding with 13 councils receiving $1M to deliver on the ground projects and 13 receiving smaller grants of $150,000.
This new funding builds on the success and learnings from the initial $30 million three-year investment of the Safer Cities program which delivered 21 projects physical intervention projects with ten local councils who partnered with 12 different state government partners.
Project highlights include the transformation of Guildford Laneway into a colourful and inviting space through improved landscaping, seating, lighting, children's play elements, a large-scale mural and community event. The interventions led to 700% increase in the number of unique visitors and 82% of survey respondents are more likely to use the laneway.
In Griffith the local council improved the walkable connections between the CBD and the medium density residential area to the south through new lighting, a smart bus shelter, upgraded footbridges, landscaping, a community garden, public art and events. Survey shows people are up to 11 times more likely to use these activated areas.
An impact report found the initiatives delivered through the program resulted in:
- Almost 60% of women feeling safer, and almost 40% at night, when visiting the upgraded public spaces.
- 6,000 people participated in co-design and 'walkshops' to ensure lived experience of community members informed the projects.
- 460 interventions tested and trialled, with 100 interventions being made permanent.
- Projects and initiatives include:
- 137 lighting projects completed
- 200 events and activations
- 45 public art projects
- One public education campaign
- 31 accessibility upgrades
- 45 amenities such as play spaces, seating, tables, toilets and shade installed
- 18 wayfinding packages and signage upgrades completed
- Almost 24,000 people across NSW were engaged in work through the program
In addition to this new round of the Her Way grant Transport for NSW are also currently partnering with Homes NSW, State Library of NSW, Placemaking NSW, Office of Sport and Hunter and Central Coast Development Corporation through an additional $5 million in project partnerships.
For more information click here, and the full report visit Safer Cities program. Successful Safer Cities: Her Way 2 grant recipients will be announced in May.
Minister for Women Jodie Harrison said:
"This investment is part of the work the NSW Government is doing to build a better and safer New South Wales for women and girls.
"We've listened to women and girls and local communities to inform the changes and design, and this comes through in the impact report.
"Improved lighting, signage and landscaping make a big difference in the feeling of safety in a place. We want to empower women and girls to be able to participate in all aspects of life - whether it is at work, playing sport or going out to enjoy events in their local communities.
"This additional funding will make sure more local areas in the city and regional New South Wales can be transformed into vibrant, safe and welcoming areas for everyone."
Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Marjorie O'Neill said:
"The impact report on the first round of this program shows that its helping improve local streets so that women feel safe using them. With this new round of funding that work will continue.
"Women avoid public spaces because we feel twice as fearful as men which translates to restricted movement, impaired heath and earning outcomes. We can't accept that, which is why we're continuing to invest in safer streets.
"Every woman knows that feeling of clutching your keys as you pass through a dark street on the way from a bus stop or train station. This investment in better lighting in public spaces around transport hubs will allow women to walk the streets with confidence.
"We know this program works because the research shows that more than half of the women felt safer during the day and almost 40% felt safer at night in locations where gender-sensitive design projects were implemented.
