A healthier Central Coast for all

Benefits of active transport

Using active transport – that is walking, cycling and catching the bus or train – is a great and convenient way to get the exercise we need for good physical and mental health and wellbeing.

Exercising for just 10 minutes a day can make a big difference, helping reduce your risk of many diseases, including some cancers, and helping to maintain a healthy weight. And by walking as little as 15 minutes more a day, nine out of 10 Australians could reduce their risk of heart disease.

A man with satchel cycling.
Two Aboriginal older adults walking along the street

It’s not just our health that benefits; there are environmental, financial and community health benefits when using active transport too.

Check out some of these reasons to go active.

  • Reduces your risk of many diseases and conditions, including some cancers, type 2 diabetes and depression
  • Helps you achieve and maintain a healthy weight
  • Connects you to your community, which is important for mental health
  • For shorter journeys it can prove quicker than being stuck in traffic and finding a car park
  • Saves you money on car running costs
  • Better for the environment and the health of our community

Central Coast transport and work stats

The 2021 Census revealed of the 116,698 people who work in the Central Coast Council area, 105,655 (90.5%) also live here.

Looking at it another way, of the 150,767 resident workers in the Central Coast Council area, 105,655 or 70.1% live and work in the area.

A pie chart showing the residential location of local workers in the Central Coast Council area in 2021. It shows: - 90.5% live and work in the area - 9.5% work in the area, but live outside The source is the Australian Bureau of Statistics, from its 2021 Census of Population and Housing.
A pie chart showing the employment location of resident workers in the Central Coast Council area in 2021. It shows: - 70.1% live and work in the area - 24.1% live in the area but work outside - 5.8% have no fixed place of work. The source is the Australian Bureau of Statistics, from its 2021 Census of Population and Housing.

Commuter habits

The 2021 Census also revealed the following about people’s commuter habits:

People travelled to work in a private car

  • Central Coast 52.6% (49.3% as driver)
  • NSW 46.3% (43.1% as driver)

People who took public transport to work

  • Central Coast 2.2%
  • NSW 4.0%

People who rode a bike or walked to work

  • Central Coast 1.5%
  • NSW 2.9%

People who worked at home

  • Central Coast 25.5% (compared to 5.1% in 2016, pre-COVID)
  • NSW 31% (compared to 4.8% in 2016, pre-COVID)

Methods of travel to work

A horizontal bar graph showing method of travel to work in 2021 for employed persons in the Central Coast Council area and New South Wales. It shows 'Car (as driver)' is significantly the highest method of travel to work, with the proportion higher in the Central Coast Council area compared to New South Wales. 'Worked at home' is second, with New South Wales having a higher proportion than Central Coast, while third is 'Did not go to work', with the Central Coast higher than New South Wales. 'Car (as passenger)', Train, 'Walked only' and 'Bus' are all lagging far behind. The source is the Australian Bureau of Statistics, from its 2021 Census of Population and Housing.

Central Coast Health Promotion Service aims to address these numbers by supporting people to go active to get around. This includes influencing relevant plans, policies and environmental factors that can impact people’s ability to use active transport, such as how our roads, streets and buildings are designed.

Physical activity recommendations for different age groups

The Australian guidelines for physical activity provide the recommended amount of physical activity we need for good physical and mental health and wellbeing.

Read the guidelines
Two hands tying shoe laces on a pair of running shoes.

Useful tools to support active transport

Here are some useful websites and tools that support active transport.

Active Transport – find out about Transport for NSW strategies and projects to create more  walking and cycling opportunities in your community, with further information in its walking and bike riding section

NSW trip planner – check routes and timetables and plan your trip

Cycleway Finder – plan bicycle trips across NSW

Central Coast Bicycle User Group (CCBUG) – rides, advocacy and membership for a growing Central Coast bike-riding community

Bicycle Network – Australia’s biggest bike riding organisation, supported by nearly 50,000 members nationwide. Its membership includes riding insurance and its Ride2Work program helps everyday people to jump on a bike and get active on their way to work

A handbook for bicycle riders (Transport for NSW) – valuable tips on road safety, bicycle maintenance, road rules and the legal aspects of riding your bicycle

Bike sheds and lockers

Report road hazards and issues

If there is a local road hazard, cycleway, shared path or footpath issue, you can report it to Central Coast Council via their online Customer Service Centre.

Report an issue

Plans supporting bike riding, walking and mobility

The following documents guide Central Coast Council’s ongoing provision of an active transport network for residents and visitors.

Central Coast Council Bike Plan 2019–2029

Pedestrian Access and Mobility Plan (PAMP) 2019–2029

Advocate for active transport

Central Coast Health Promotion Service advocates for the planning, design, development and management of places that support people to lead healthy lives through safe walking and cycling provision and good public transport links.

Here are some resources you can use to champion active transport in your community.

Healthy Active by Design (Heart Foundation) – advocating for the creation of healthier built environments including good movement networks

30Please – a campaign advocating for 30km/h speed limits to be the norm for our neighbourhood streets in Australia

Safe Streets to School – advocating for crossings, footpaths or set lower speed limits within 2km of schools

Walk Sydney – peak body advocating for walkability in Greater Sydney

Healthy Streets – a human-centred framework for embedding public health in transport, public realm and planning

NSW Movement and Place Framework – a cross-government framework for planning and managing successful roads and streets across NSW by balancing the movement of people and goods with the amenity and quality of places

Other pages you might be interested in

A young man drinking a water bottle.
Healthy Places Healthy People

Get Healthy Service

A free phone coaching service that supports adults to set and achieve healthy lifestyle goals.

Two hands tying shoe laces on a pair of running shoes.

Physical Activity Guidelines

The Australian guidelines for physical activity for each age group along with activity recommendations.

A line of school children filling up their refillable water bottles at a chilled water station.
School Years

Live Life Well @ School

Free resources to support primary school staff, students and their families.

Two Aboriginal older adults doing balance exercises in front of a plain background.
Healthy Ageing

Healthy Ageing

Supporting healthy, independent ageing through nutrition and exercise resources and programs.

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