Bicycle Queensland meets with Minister Mickelberg 

Bicycle Queensland CEO Professor Matt Burke and Acting Chair Miles Vass have met with Queensland Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg to discuss the state’s approach to active transport, with a focus on policy settings, project priorities and delivery processes. 

Speaking after the meeting, Prof. Burke said the discussion was constructive, partly thanks to the good work of the State Government in late 2025 clamping down on unsafe e-motorbikes, and in setting up a new active transport advisory group to improve communications with the Department of Transport and Main Roads. 

Policy 

In terms of policy priorities, Miles informed the Minister that road safety was the key advocacy and policy priority for Bicycle Queensland this year.  The main topic then discussed was the current inquiry into e-mobility, which will be reporting in March. While the Minister must wait until the findings are handed down, Prof. Burke re-iterated that Bicycle Queensland is well-placed to help, where appropriate, on the messaging around of any upcoming changes or with education or training that may be required.  

For members and followers, a reminder that BQ has consistently promoted the benefits of compliant e-bikes and the use of e-scooters within current legislation. 

‘We’ve been fighting to keep legal e-bike riding safe and secure, to preserve that part of the industry,’ Prof. Burke confirmed. ‘I did thank the Minister for the clamping down on the retailers, and use of illegal motorbikes in Queensland – many shops stopped selling these products.’ 

Projects

The main infrastructure project discussed was the Logan Faster Rail continuous active transport corridor. As covered last year, the promised continuous bike way along the length of the rail upgrade has been split into disconnected parts. The Minister was surprised to hear that the project team had done no advertising of the bikeway deletion to either the broader bike community or the local community. 

‘There’s almost no chance to get the section north from Compton Road to Kuraby re-instated,’ Professor Burke reported. ‘It’s decreasingly likely that we’ll get the all important section from Kingston to Woodridge station re-instated. But the Minister is willing to find something  better than what is there at present.’ 

The Minister suggested there may be a solution that is ‘80% as good’ and BQ are very keen to explore that. The current proposal to rely on the out-of-date bike lanes on Jacaranda Avenue is untenable. TMR run their own heavy vehicle driver training and testing along that route. The bikeway should be how hundreds of school children get to the four schools on or just off the corridor there. They can’t mix with trucks.  

‘We’ll keep the pressure on for this project. We’ll work with the Logan Bicycle User Group on options. We’ll alert the local community that the bikeway was deleted. We’ll build support for the bikeway – again’ Prof. Burke confirmed. 

Procedures 

The Minister has set up a new Queensland Active Transport and Advisory Group (ATAG), replacing the old cycling committee. 
 
‘The previous committee hardly ever met, and had very little input. I was on it whilst at Griffith University,’ confirmed Prof. Burke. ‘We need this new entity to meet more often and to prioritise two-way communication.’ 

‘I’ve been on a number of committees with TMR over the years. The best use workshops to help formulate policy options and project directions in the Department, whether that’s to change design guidance, change funding rules, test out new innovations, or more.’ 

Here at BQ we get a sense the Minister is listening and engaged, but that bicycle funding is unlikely to increase in the near future. He and the Queensland Government have both said they will listen to the community. However, there is still much to fight for – and we will have more news in that space shortly, including how you can get involved.