BQ’s Advocacy Tour through Southern Queensland 

After visiting Far North Queensland, including the Queensland Mountain Bike Forum, and a huge stretch of Central Queensland in September, Bicycle Queensland’s Director of Advocacy, Andrew Demack, has continued the advocacy conversation further south, visiting riders and community advocates across the south east.  

The latest round of Regional Advocacy Forums saw Andrew hosting sessions in Warwick, Toowoomba, the Sunshine Coast, Ipswich, Moreton Bay, Redlands and the Gold Coast, with Brisbane and Logan still to come. Each region raised its own priorities and opportunities — from safe passing and road shoulders in Warwick, to completing missing links on the Gold Coast’s Oceanway. 

Warwick and the Southern Downs 

In Warwick, riders told Andrew that while road cycling is still king, they’re looking for safer shoulders – at least two metres wide and free of debris – and solutions to problems caused by rumble strips on key routes. 

There’s also strong interest in developing cycling tourism, particularly as heritage rail operations decline between Warwick and Stanthorpe. Riders see the potential for new rail trail extensions to add to Queensland’s range of rail trails. There were also suggestions of off-road cycling opportunities at Morgan Park Raceway. 

“Warwick riders are passionate about road cycling, but they’re also realistic. Riders want safe spaces to ride, and they see that good cycling infrastructure can be a tourism driver too,” Andrew said. “There’s real potential for Southern Downs Council to lead in that space in regional Queensland.” 

Toowoomba 

Toowoomba riders, BQ Members and community advocates turned out in force, reflecting years of engagement and partnership between BQ, the Toowoomba Bicycle Users Group (TBUG) and local riders. 

While traffic lights that fail to detect bikes remain a common frustration, the community’s collaborative approach is generating steady progress. 

“The advocacy energy in Toowoomba is fantastic,” Andrew said. “It’s a credit to the local riders who’ve built relationships and kept showing up – even when council progress is slow.” 

Sunshine Coast 

On the Sunshine Coast, advocacy is on the front foot. The region’s Bicycle User Group is newly established with BQ support. Cycling has growing recognition from council and State MP Kendall Morton. 

Riders discussed everything from the Maroochy-to-Mooloolaba bikeway to proposals for a National Bicycle Museum, as well as how to better report and resolve bikeway safety and maintenance issues. 

Moreton Bay 

In Moreton Bay, the conversation centred on the area’s “city-edge” challenges. Riders highlighted the need for better path connections in new developments, safer speed limits on narrow rural roads, and continuing the Caboolture-Wamuran Rail Trail through to Kilcoy. 

There were also calls to prioritise the Ted Smout Bridge to Kippa-Ring connection, a key missing link for active transport on the Redcliffe Peninsula. 

Redlands 

Redlands riders were keen to strengthen local advocacy, with discussions around forming a Bicycle User Group to provide a collective voice to council. 

Many riders had shifted from on-road to off-road riding due to motorist aggression, but also frustration that much of the existing path network is outdated or below current design standards. Redland City council is spending more on active transport facilities with strong support from Councillor Peter Mitchell, who was in attendance.  

Gold Coast 

The Gold Coast session brought together diverse groups, with representatives from the Burleigh Cycling Team to Cycling Without Age, to Friends of the Oceanway and the local Bicycle User Group. The main themes discussed included connecting existing infrastructure, and embracing Olympic opportunities to elevate bikeway and e-mobility planning. 

Discussions also touched on e-scooter safety and the current parliamentary inquiry, the CAR (Cyclists Against Road-rage) campaign, and everyday ways to report problems on cycleways to Councils such as using the app Snap Send Solve. 

Ipswich 

BQ members attending the Ipswich forum spoke of the frustration of lack of progress towards a safe bike network in their city. Ipswich Council has not commenced any notable bike infrastructure since the completion of the Brassall Bikeway in 2020. Questions arose about safe bike access to Ripley (at a roundabout which crosses the Centenary Highway), but also lack of safe bike access to many destinations in Ipswich and suburbs. There was some momentum towards revitalising the Ipswich Bicycle Users Group. 

While each region is diverse, a common theme has emerged from each forum, Local riders know what their communities need. Whether it’s safer shoulders, connected paths, updates to road safety education or councils that listen, these forums give Queenslanders a chance to shape the state’s cycling future. And Bicycle Queensland has an important role in ensuring that the community forums have meaningful outcomes for each region. To that end, BQ will deliver a report to the Department of Transport and Main Roads from this round of regional visits, to inform them about the needs of each region and across the state. 

“When we show up and listen, we find people who are ready to make things better. And that’s what these forums are about. We are here to connect local insight with state-level advocacy, and effect the changes needed to make Queensland a better place to ride,” said Andrew Demack. 

“This is also the second year running where one of our forums is helping create a new Bicycle User Group in a key region. These groups help local cyclists advocate for improved conditions with their local government. BQ will continue to help these folks in future, fighting the good fight for safe cycling infrastructure.” 
 
Stay tuned for dates and locations for forum meetings in Brisbane and Logan.