Minister for Transport and Main Roads, the Hon Mark Bailey MP, has stepped aside from the ministry, as a new Premier and a new Cabinet will be named this week (14 December 2023).

Bicycle Queensland takes this opportunity to thank the outgoing Minister for being the cycling champion we needed.

While we believe there is still a long way to go in building both the infrastructure and the social environment that will transform Queensland towards a healthier, zero emissions transport future, Mark Bailey has done more towards this than any recent Transport Minister.

And from Bicycle Queensland’s perspective, we always knew we had a person in the top job who regularly faced the cycling conditions that we all face, who used his bicycle for transport, and for fitness, and for recreation.

It was a truism of Mark Bailey’s time as Transport Minister that any time there was a new bikeway or bike bridge funded by TMR, that he would be there to open it, and be the first to ride it.

Under his leadership, Transport and Main Roads has spent more than previously on building the Principal Cycle Network, but has also made great use of including provision for bikes and walking into larger projects such as motorways and railway upgrades.

Bailey has also led the way in encouraging partnership between State Government and local government, and particularly urged the large SEQ councils to step up in provision of active transport facilities.

Queensland has had some excellent Transport Ministers in the past … Bicycle Queensland’s chair Rachel Nolan was another who made great strides towards changing the way we move.

One of Mark Bailey’s real achievement in this space is that expectations of the Transport Minister have now been reset. The new person who takes on this role has big shoes to fill.