Author: Mike Blewitt

Categories
Bikeway detours and closures

Queen’s Wharf Bikeway changes for Brisbane Festival 2025

During September, The Landing at Queen’s Wharf will be used for select events and event setup as part of the Brisbane Festival. The programme has 9 nights of events using this location, which bisects the Bicentennial Bikeway.

Bicycle Queensland has been informed that barriers will create a separation between walkers and riders, and that crowd control staff will be on hand to help direct pedestrians. As in any shared space, Bicycle Queensland encourages all users to reduce their speed as appropriate for the conditions – the posted limit is 10km/h.

Note that the bikeway will be closed from 4pm on Saturday 6 September for Riverfire. At all other times the bikeway remains open.

Event Dates and Times 

Venue: Queens Wharf Brisbane, The Landing and Queen’s Wharf Plaza 
Installation:
Thursday 4 September from 6.00am – 10.00pm 

Event Dates: Friday 5 September – Saturday 27 September (Brisbane Festival Program) 
Event Times: 6:00pm – 10:00pm – Friday 5 September (Brisbane Festival Opening Night) 
12.00pm – 9:00pm – Saturday 6 September (Riverfire by Australian Retirement Trust) 
6.00pm – 8:30pm – Thursday 18 September – Sunday 21 September (Baleen Moondjan) 
5.00pm – 10:00pm – Thursday 25 September – Saturday 27 September (Drone Show) 

Dismantle: Monday 29 September – Friday 3 October 6:00am – 6:00pm 

A full list of road, bridge, bikeway and river closures are listed online. Feedback can be given here.

Categories
Advocacy

BQ Supports Road Vehicle Standards Amendment Bill 2025

Bicycle Queensland has welcomed the introduction of the Road Vehicle Standards Amendment (Safer E-Bikes) Bill 2025 by Dr Sophie Scamps MP in Parliament on Monday September 1. The bill calls for the reinstatement of the EN15194 standard for imported e-bikes in Australia, matching one of the requests Bicycle Queensland has made through our submission to the Queensland Government’s Inquiry into E-mobility.

BQ Interim CEO Liana Heath stated that the bill is an important step towards improving safety for riders and restoring public and user confidence in the rapidly growing e-mobility sector.

“Bicycle Queensland has long advocated for clear, enforceable standards for e-bikes,” she said. “Our members want to know that the bike they purchase is safe, compliant, and fit for use on Australian roads and paths. We support Dr Scamps’ national efforts to address the growing issue of high-powered, unsafe imports that pose a risk to riders and the community.”

BQ’s Director of Advocacy Andrew Demack said the bill reflects the concerns raised by Bicycle Queensland in its letter to Queensland Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg earlier this year, as well as its submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry into e-mobility.

“The absence of a clear national standard has left consumers and retailers exposed to dangerous and illegal products,” Andrew Demack said.“Reinstating EN15194 will provide certainty and support legitimate suppliers all via an existing, recognised global standard. EN15194 places limits on continuous power, speed limits and battery safety. It addresses many of the current device concerns around e-mobility.’

Bicycle Queensland’s position paper on high-powered e-bikes highlighted the urgent need for harmonised rules across jurisdictions and for better education around the legal definition of an e-bike.

Although Private Members’ Bills often struggle to receive the backing of the Government of the day, they play an important role in highlighting issues and pressuring all parties to work towards solutions. Bicycle Queensland encourages members and the wider cycling community to stay informed and support efforts to improve e-bike safety nationwide.

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Partner News

Win 1 of 4 POC helmets or sunglasses!

From August 28 until September 30, Bicycle Queensland are running a competition to win one of 4 prize packs from POC. All you need to do is sign up as a new Bicycle Queensland member for a monthly or annual membership, and you will go in the draw to win 1 of 4 POC products worth up to $450 each!

As part of this offer, any new, annual members will also receive 3 months of free membership – so even if you don’t win a prize from POC, you still receive 3 months of free BQ Membership.

Bicycle Queensland membership includes public liability and accident insurance for all kinds of riding (except racing), and our partners provide free legal advice in the case of an accident. BQ Members also receive discounts from a variety of retailers, and at BQ events.

You can join Bicycle Queensland as an individual member, with a valid concession card for concession pricing, as a Household of 2, or a Household of 3 Plus. We also have a School Student option.

click here for options, pricing and to join

Existing Bicycle Queensland Members can also win

If you’re already a Bicycle Queensland member, you can still be in the running to win one of the POC prizes – just log in to the BQ Portal and update your mailing preferences, slecting that you can be contacted for promotions. Once that is done – you’re automatically entered. And if you refer a friend to Bicycle Queensland, you can receive 3 months added to your membership as our way of saying thanks.

Terms and Conditions:

  • Prize draw and offer closes Tuesday 30 September, 2025.
  • Four winners each can choose a POC road or trail helmet or sunglasses. Excludes Cytal Carbon.
  • 15 months for the price of 12 is only available for new, annual members
  • The 15 months for the price of 12 offer needs to be activated by the link on this page, and cannot be done retrospectively
  • By being added to our promotions mailing list, you may be contacted by POC or another BQ Partner
Categories
Advocacy

Bicycle Queensland’s September 2025 Regional Tour dates

Bicycle Queensland is pleased to announce a comprehensive regional tour through Northern and Southern Queensland, scheduled for September 2025. The tour will be led by Bicycle Queensland’s Director of Advocacy Andrew Demack, and aims to engage with local Bicycle Queensland members, bike riders, the bike industry, tourism bodies, schools, universities and regional councils across Queensland. It is your chance to come along, have your say and help shape the future of bike and scooter riding in Queensland.

The Regional Forum Tour underscores Bicycle Queensland’s commitment to advocating for bike and e-scooter riding as a vital component of community health, sustainable transport, and tourism opportunities for the state of Queensland. Throughout the tour, Andrew Demack will meet with stakeholders to discuss the benefits of bike and e-scooter riding, effective transport planning, opportunities for recreation and the significant impact of riding on local economies and community well-being.

Andrew Demack already visited communities between Cairns and Townsville earlier in 2025, including attendance at the Queensland Mountain Bike Forum – his findings are already published.

Regional Tour dates and locations

DateTimeCityLocationMeeting RSVP
15/9/20254:30pmMackayMackay Meeting Room, Jubilee Community Centre, 258 Alfred St MackayRSVP Here
16/9/202512 noonYeppoonYeppoon Community Centre, 80 John StRSVP Here
16/9/20255:30pmRockhampton
Gold Room, 62 Victoria Parade		RSVP Here
17/9/202512 noonGladstoneGladstone City Library meeting room, 39 Goondoon StreetRSVP Here
17/9/20256pmBundabergBundaberg School of Arts, 184 Bourbong StRSVP Here
18/9/202512:30pmHervey BayPialba Memorial Hall, 1 Main St PialbaRSVP Here
19/9/202512 noonGympieThe Pavilion, 77 Exhibition Rd, Southside GympieRSVP Here
22/9/256pmIpswichTBCRSVP Here
23/9/2512 noonWarwickWarwick Art GalleryRSVP Here
23/9/256pmToowoombaToowoomba City LibraryRSVP Here
24/9/256pmSunshine Coast and NoosaCommunity Co-Lab, MaroochydoreRSVP Here
25/9/2512 noonMoreton BayRedcliffe Volunteer HubRSVP Here
25/9/256pmRedlandsTBCRSVP Here
26/9/255:30pmGold CoastBroadbeach Community CentreRSVP Here

(More towns, dates and locations are being finalised – email media@BQ.org.au for details)

Andrew Demack expressed enthusiasm about the upcoming tour, given it is a chance to connect directly with BQ Members, the broader riding community and decision and policy makers around the state.

“Bike and e-scooter riding play a crucial role in enhancing the liveability of our communities, promoting active lifestyles, reducing traffic congestion and even delivering clear economic benefits. We look forward to discussing these important issues and advocating for better infrastructure and policies throughout Queensland’s regions.”

BQ encourages you to attend a forum near you, to connect with BQ, share your local experiences and challenges and contribute to shaping advocact for better bike and scooter infrastructure and policies.

Bicycle Queensland would like to thank the Queensland government for their support in undertaking this essential regional advocacy work, so we can understand the trends and challenges facing bike riding and micromobility. Bicycle Queensland aims to work with the Department of Transport and Main Road to communicate the investment opportunities around infrastructure and actions to best serve BQ members, stakeholders and communities.

Categories
Partner News

Bicycle Queensland members save with BikesOnline

Bicycle Queensland are happy to announce that BQ Members can now save at BikesOnline, one of Australia’s online retailers.

BQ Members receive a 10% discount on purchases between $300 and $5000. This is a great offer for BQ Members around Queensland or Australia! The code for the offer is in the Portal – log in to access it along with nearly 30 other great discounts for BQ Members.

If you’re not already a member, you can sign up to Bicycle Queensland to receive all the listed discounts on the Member Rewards page, alongside public liability and accident insurance, free legal advice and further discounts for BQ Events and at partner BQ Link stores.

join bicycle queensland

Terms and conditions:

– The discount code entitles all Bicycle Queensland members to a discount of 10% off any purchase between $300 and $5,000 at BikesOnline.com.au.
– Discount excludes gift vouchers and items on sale.
– This offer is not redeemable for cash and cannot be used in conjunction with other vouchers.
– To redeem this voucher, simply visit BikesOnline.com.au, add the items to your cart and apply this code on the checkout page.
– This voucher code is valid till 30 June 2026.
– Please see the terms and conditions on the BikesOnline.com.au website for further details regarding delivery costs and availability.
– Discount cannot be applied retrospectively.
– The terms of this offer may be updated at the discretion of BikesOnline.com.

Categories
Advocacy

BQ attends inaugural LGAQ Active Transport Forum

Bicycle Queensland interim CEO Liana Heath and Director of Advocacy Andrew Demack attended the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) first-ever Active Transport Forum on Friday 15 August.

This is a great initiative by LGAQ because it gives an opportunity for larger Councils with more resources and more staff to share their innovations and resources with smaller Councils. This inaugural forum had presentations from TMR experts on safe bicycle infrastructure design, and from Councils on projects including safe street environments around schools and connecting sections of bikeway. Bicycle Queensland’s presentation looked at the feedback we received from holding forums for bike riders across every major centre in the state.

Categories
Bikeway detours and closures

Upcoming shared path use in Brisbane for September

This September 3-4 Tour de Cure will be running their annual Can4Cancer and Stride for a Cure fundraising walks. The routes for each day are identical, with participants choosing to undertake a 21km or 10km course, both of which start and finish at The Officers Mess in New Farm. Tour de Cure is a not-for-profit organisation which runs quality events to raise vital funds for cancer research, support and prevention projects. Since 2007, Tour de Cure has raised $130+ million to support cancer projects, which has resulted in 193 cancer research breakthroughs.

To make the charity events possible, Tour de Cure have received a consent to occupy City Reach Boardwalk (Brisbane City), New Farm Riverwalk (from Eastern end of Howard Smith Wharves section to New Farm Park, New Farm), Kangaroo Point Bikeway (from Rotherham Street to Dockside Ferry Terminal, Kangaroo Point) and Mowbray Park Internal Shared Pathways (East Brisbane ) from 8:30am to 2:00pm on both days, via Brisbane City Council Transport Planning and Operations. 

The 21km participants will arrive at Officers Mess at approximately 8.00am and have a staggered departure from 8.30am, while the 10km participants will arrive at Officers Mess at approximately 10.00am and have a staggered departure from 10.30am. 

The events are expected to have 200 participants and 100 participants respectively on Wednesday 3 September, with 120/150 for Thursday 4 September bvetween the 21/10km walks.

The 21km route will head towards Brisbane City before crossing the Kulripa Bridge to Southbank.  They will then continue along the foreshore through Kangaroo Point and will then catch a ferry from Hawthorne Ferry Terminal to Teneriffe where they will return along the riverside to New Farm.

The 10km route will head towards the city via Howard Smith Wharves, crossing the river using the Kangaroo Point Bridge. They will then continue along the foreshore towards Hawthorne, where they will catch a ferry to New Farm.

Due to the staggered departure and the differing walking paces of the participants, the field of walkers will be quite spread out.

Links to the routes are below:

21km Route

10km Route

Participants will adhere to normal pedestrian rules, walking on pathways, crossing at lights where applicable.  There will be no infrastructure set up along the course – just a slightly higher volume of foot traffic.

Of course, Tour de Cure always need bike volunteers – head to their website for details.

Categories
Advocacy

Tragedy in WA underscores need for urgent action on illegal high-powered e-bikes 

Bicycle Queensland extends our sympathies to the family and community of the woman tragically killed over the weekend in Edgewater, Perth. She died after being struck by a high-powered, unregistered electric motorbike, which Police say was being ridden recklessly by a 17-year-old who has since been charged with manslaughter.  

This devastating incident is a stark reminder that the widespread availability and misuse of illegal e-mobility devices pose serious risks not only to those who ride them, but to every user of shared paths, roads and other public spaces. 

While the incident occurred in Western Australia, the same types of devices are easily purchased in-store and online in Queensland, despite being illegal to use on public roads and paths. 

“The e-motorcycle device actually does have a place legally – on purpose-built motocross tracks such as QLD Moto Park near Boonah,” said Andrew Demack, Director of Advocacy at Bicycle Queensland. “But using these devices on paths and roads in our suburbs and cities is just as dangerous and illegal as young people hooning on petrol-powered motorbikes – except maybe more dangerous because they are much quieter.” 

These devices – often incorrectly marketed as e-bikes – can travel up to 60 km/h and beyond purely under throttle assistance from the motors that can have 5000W of power or more. The e-motorbikes are not even equipped with pedals, and far exceed Australia’s legal limit of 250W continuous power and 25 km/h of pedal-assisted speed. That makes them, by law, unregistrable electric motorbikes – yet they are still widely available online and in some retail stores. 

Queesland’s e-bike rules

Many are purchased by teenagers and less experienced riders, with little awareness of the legal or safety risks. Public frustration is rising, with increasing reports of these high-powered devices being used recklessly on bikeways, footpaths, and walking trails and mountain bike trails across Queensland – and Australia. 

Bicycle Queensland supports e-mobility as part of a healthy, sustainable transport future. But safety and legal clarity must come first – as outlined in our position statement and presentation to the Queensland Parliamentary Inquiry on e-mobility. 

We call on the Queensland Government to: 

  • Enforce existing laws around illegal e-bikes and PMDs with immediate effect 
  • Ban the sale of non-compliant devices that exceed speed and power limits 
  • Support public education to help people understand what’s legal and safe 
  • Empower police and transport officers to test and remove illegal vehicles 
  • Encourage speed-governing measures on existing devices where possible 

Queensland has an opportunity right now to address this issue to prevent future harm. The current mix of unclear rules, unregulated sales, and growing use of high-powered devices is a recipe for exactly the kind of fatal incident we saw in Perth. Not if, but when.