Mr Waldron, who also chairs the taskforce, said the overall number of people walking for recreation and transport was less than ever before.
“I am very concerned about the results which show a nine per cent decline since 1999 of people walking for recreation and 10 per cent less since 2006 walking for transport,” he said.
The findings from the 2009 WA Physical Activity Survey were released for be active WA Day and showed only half of physically-active adults walked more than 10 minutes for recreation and one in five walked more than 10 minutes for transport in the previous week.
The survey also showed a corresponding decline in the use of local footpaths and streets for physical activity.
The Minister said he was very concerned about the results as walking was a key indicator of how active communities were, because it was the easiest, cheapest, most accessible and popular form of physical activity.
“Walking for recreation or as a form of transport other than the car, has many benefits for the health and wellbeing for the walker and also creates less congestion on the roads and less pollution for the community,” he said.
“We are very concerned about these latest findings, and believe a concerted effort to increase walking is required across all levels of government and community.
“With Western Australia’s growing population and increasing pressures on existing infrastructure, we need to encourage people to walk more, to build walk-friendly environments and make it habit forming to walk rather than use the car.
“The Physical Activity Taskforce will drive this issue and collaborate with Government and the community to help reverse this decline.”
Mr Waldron said walking in neighbourhoods created connected communities as it provided an opportunity to interact with others in the street and could also assist in crime prevention as there were more ‘eyes on the street’.
The call for more West Australians to be active in their community coincides with be active WA Day, to raise awareness of the importance of being active, and the start of the Department of Health funded Find Thirty® every day campaign, airing on television and radio next week.
“Finding 30 minutes of physical activity a day, such as walking, is one of the best things you can do for your physical, social and mental health; and it’s as easy as walking out of your door and into your local neighbourhood,” Heart Foundation senior manager of physical activity Clover Maitland said.
The Find Thirty® every day media campaign will air from September 5-25 and demonstrates easy and low-cost ways for all West Australians to increase their physical activity participation.
The Find Thirty® every day campaign is funded by the Department of Health and co-ordinated by the Heart Foundation.
The full report of the Physical Activity Taskforce 2009 Western Australian Physical Activity Adult Survey will be released later this year.
Minister's office - 9213 7200