Gisborne is one step closer to becoming a more sustainable transport city as the district council works to boost options for cyclists and walkers.

On Wednesday, elected members heard about upcoming plans which would help the community ditch private vehicles in favour of healthier, more sustainable transport.

The council is drafting a mode shift plan and active travel strategy which will go out for consultation in January ahead of adoption towards the middle of next year.

That work will be instrumental in forming the Regional Land Transport Plan 2024 - 2034, which informs funding bids to Waka Kotahi.

According to the council, a cohesive network in Tairāwhiti would include safe routes to key destinations including the CBD, schools, employers and marae.

“Gisborne is a perfect city for a direct active travel network. Compact, largely flat and narrow layout means a relatively small number of active travel routes could provide direct access to most of the city for a large proportion of the population,” the report said.

Councillors spoke positively about the report on the whole, but one was critical of it being labelled a Tairāwhiti development when its focus was Tūranganui-a-Kiwa.

“I’m wondering where’s the rest of te Tairāwhiti?” Rawinia Parata asked.

Council senior policy adviser Chris Gilmore said the mapping focused on Gisborne because Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency funding was more likely to be granted based on a larger number of people making the shift to other transport options.

Cr Parata saidthat people who used their vehicles the most were those who lived up the coast because they had the furthest to drive.

“We create more emissions than anybody else because of the sheer isolation of coast communities. I don’t see that reflected and I just wanted to note that.”

Ani Pahuru-Huriwai agreed with Cr Parata, while Larry Foster pointed to a meeting councillors attended that morning — where everyone took their own car — as an example of the problem.

“How do we change that culture? I sense that the strength of this is going to be future generations, so we’ve got to be the ones who say ‘hey we’re doing it wrong’.

“One person one car — it’s part of the New Zealand culture, not just here.”

Mr Gilmore said children were capable of changing their parents’ behaviours.

“We definitely start with the next generation.”

Routes and features would not be finalised until designs, technical investigation and a business case were developed.