The National Heart Foundation of Australia and the Cycling Promotion Fund have joined forces to call for greater investment in environments that support walking and cycling.

The current design of our cities and towns often disourage walking and cycling due to an absence of safe and appropriate paths and road designs that better suit the car.  "A 30 minute cycle to the shops and back can help guard against heart disease and other chronic diseases such as diabetes and some cancers," says Trevor Shilton, the Heart Foundation's National Physical Activity Manager.

" In order to slow and then reverse the burden of lifestyle diseases, Australia needs significantly boost its level of investment into waking and cycling infrastructure"  Elliot Fishman from the Cycling Promotion Fund added.