What is a Green Travel Plan?
Right now, traffic congestion and climate pressures are converging on Australian cities. Councils, developers, and businesses are under increasing scrutiny to demonstrate that their projects not only manage transport impacts but actively reduce them.
That’s where a Green Travel Plan (GTP) comes in.
What is a Green Travel Plan?
A Green Travel Plan (GTP) is a tailored strategy that sets out how people connected to a site—residents, staff, visitors—can move to and from it without relying on private cars. In practice, this often forms part of a Sustainability Management Plan (SMP) or development application, particularly in jurisdictions such as the City of Melbourne and City of Sydney where GTPs are now standard compliance requirements.
Put simply, councils want to see that a project is not adding to gridlock but instead supporting mode shift to public and active transport.
Why adopt a Green Travel Plan?
The purpose of a GTP is both compliance-driven and community-driven. Its benefits flow across multiple fronts:
- Cutting emissions by shifting trips from cars to cleaner modes
- Easing congestion and car parking pressures
- Encouraging active lifestyles through walking, cycling, and e-mobility
- Building more liveable neighbourhoods by improving local walkability and safety
- Satisfying council criteria for development approvals and sustainability ratings
When framed this way, a GTP isn’t just a box-ticking exercise—it becomes a lever for long-term change in how people travel.
What goes into a Green Travel Plan?
Although every GTP is tailored to the site, most share a common structure. Let’s walk through the elements you’ll usually see:
- Sustainable transport options – a clear inventory of alternatives: walking, cycling, public transport, shared mobility, electric vehicles.
- Infrastructure analysis – an audit of nearby bus stops, train stations, bike paths, end-of-trip facilities, and where upgrades are needed.
- Policies and incentives – workplace or resident programs such as car share memberships, discounted transit passes, or e-bike leasing.
- Awareness and education – signage, onboarding materials, and community campaigns to normalise greener travel.
- Monitoring and reporting – metrics to track mode share and mechanisms for updating the plan.
- Innovation and future-proofing – consideration of evolving options such as EV charging networks, carpooling platforms, and micro-mobility hubs.
- Implementation timeline – a realistic schedule that demonstrates when measures will be delivered.
Why it matters now
More councils across Australia are conditioning development approvals on the inclusion of robust GTPs. For example, Victoria’s Better Apartments Design Standards (BADS) and New South Wales’ sustainability SEPP both reference transport considerations. Developers who treat GTPs as compliance afterthoughts risk costly delays or rejections.
On the other hand, projects that integrate strong GTPs early often unlock co-benefits: smoother approvals, higher NABERS or Green Star ratings, and reputational gains with councils and communities.
Do you need a Green Travel Plan?
If you’re preparing a development application or sustainability strategy, chances are the answer is yes. At Makao, we work with project teams to design GTPs that are not only compliant but practical—grounded in how people actually move today and how cities will evolve tomorrow.
