Author: Mike Blewitt

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Advocacy

Has your school applied for the School Transport Infrastructure Program? 

Bicycle Queensland (BQ) is encouraging schools across the state to apply for the School Transport Infrastructure Program (STIP) before nominations close on November 17. 

The Crisafulli Government has committed $4 million this financial year to the program, which funds projects that improve safety and accessibility around schools. Eligible projects include upgrades to drop-off and pick-up facilities, bikeways and shared paths, bus zones, pedestrian refuges and crossings.  

The program aims to make it easier and safer for children to walk, ride or take public transport to school, rather than relying on car travel. 

Over the next four years, the program will receive $27.5 million, with $4 million allocated to new projects this financial year. 

While the new funding is welcome, with nearly 1800 schools across Queensland, the current pool will average out to a little over $13,500 per school for the entire program – highlighting the need for a broader commitment to long-term investment, and to invest in behavioural change. 

BQ CEO Professor Matthew Burke said the funding represents an opportunity for schools to put forward practical, community-led safety improvements, but it should also be a starting point for deeper reform. 

“We’re encouraging every school to apply – this is money that can make a real difference for children’s safety and independence,” Professor Burke said. 

“But improving safety around schools won’t be possible via infrastructure with this level of investment. We need changes to regulations to support programs that work overseas, including lower speed limits near schools and utilising trained school crossing supervisors to make temporary street closures, creating safe ‘School Streets’ zones like those in Europe, Korea and the UK.” 

Bicycle Queensland continues to advocate for safer school environments that encourage more active travel. As highlighted in BQ’s recent article on changing school drop-off habits, reducing car dependence for school trips could help ease congestion, improve air quality, and boost children’s health and wellbeing. 

“Every parent knows how chaotic the school gate can be,” Professor Burke said. “But if we shift the focus from car drop-offs to safe, independent journeys on foot, by bike or on a scooter, we can make our communities calmer, healthier and safer.” 

Schools can get more details from the Department of Transport and Main Roads website. 

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Advocacy

Kurilpa Precinct Plan Needs to Produce Bike-Friendly Development 

Bicycle Queensland active transport network

Brisbane City Council recently announced plans for thousands of new high-rise apartments in South Brisbane’s Kurilpa precinct, as part of Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner’s anti-sprawl strategy. 

Under the Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct Plan, developers will be able to build taller, more sustainable buildings that exceed current height limits. Council says new buildings exceeding existing height limits must demonstrate design excellence, incorporating subtropical design principles. It is said they must also deliver new green spaces and pedestrian plazas, and contribute to public art and creative lighting. 

Bicycle Queensland wants Council’s Plan to ensure bike-friendly development.  

Proposals have been lodged for 5,279 new dwellings across 12 projects, including apartments, student accommodation and hotel rooms. Plans include: 

  • Three 50-storey towers on Nott Street 
  • Three towers ranging from 24 to 50 storeys on Melbourne Street 
  • Six towers between 12 and 30 storeys on Donkin Street 
  • A 19-storey student accommodation project on Tribune Street with 525 rooms and a rooftop space 

The area has very strong public transport links and a developing active transport network that will be strengthened with the completion of the Grey St bikeway and streetscape project. Justifiably, the Kurilpa precinct is being designed as a neighbourhood where owning a car is optional, with CBD-style maximum mandatory car parking limits and easy walking access to shops, cafes, essential services and public transport. 

Bicycle Queensland welcomes the precinct’s focus on sustainable, connected living and it represents a significant step forward for the city. However, BQ’s CEO Prof. Matthew Burke is adamant that there needs be clear encouragement for active transport, including bike riding. 
 
“We have to get premium resident and visitor bike parking into these new tall apartment developments. If these precincts are going to be “car-optional” as the Lord Mayor suggests, the developers have to provide safer bike storage options than are found in most Brisbane apartment buildings, where thefts are an ongoing concern.” 

BQ’s Director of Advocacy, Andrew Demack, admired the plan’s promotion of urban density and the benefits that may create. 

“Sustainable, connected living, which gives people the convenient, safe choice to walk, ride or take frequent public transport, is what makes great cities great. Brisbane can do this while also recognising that in a subtropical city, shade and shelter are vitally important.” 

“In these parts of the city, the best way to go out for dinner will be to walk to the dining precinct. The best way to visit the shops will be on your e-cargo bike. And the best way to get to work might be via frequent bus or train services.” 

To that end, Prof. Burke insisted that speed limits also be addressed. 

“We also need to reduce the posted street speeds in these small, crowded streets down to 30km/h. The Kurilpa precinct will be crammed with pedestrians, shops, cafes and activity, and you can’t have high speed traffic in such places. We can’t build like the densest Asian cities and not bring our street speeds down to their level.”

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Advocacy

Joint press conference calls for immediate action on illegal e-motorbikes

At a joint press conference in Brisbane today, RACQ, Bicycle Queensland, Queensland Walks, and the Motor Trades Association of Queensland urged state and federal governments to act swiftly to protect Queenslanders and restore confidence in safe, legal e-mobility. 

RACQ’s Dr Michael Kane said existing laws already give authorities the power to impound and remove illegal e-motorbikes, but enforcement has been inconsistent across the state. 

“We have a crisis on our footpaths and roads,” Dr Kane said. “E-bikes and e-mobility are a great asset to the community – our problem is illegal motorbikes.” 

“These are unregistered, unsafe, and can be impounded today by police or transport officers. We need to see a genuine crackdown. The message to parents is simple: do not buy your child an illegal e-motorbike.” 

Compliant e-bikes versus e-motorbikes or non-compliant e-bikes can be identified via their output, speed assistance limits and other criteria. The Street Smarts website has information to assist. 

Bicycle Queensland’s CEO Professor Matt Burke said the problem stems from federal import rules that were relaxed in 2021, allowing illegal e-motorbikes to enter the country under the guise of e-bikes. 

“If I can speak directly to Ministers Catherine King and Tony Burke – in 2021 the Morrison Government changed the rules on imports and allowed these illegal motorbikes to come in,” Professor Burke said. 

“It’s within your power as the Federal Government to change this and stop the importation of these vehicles. If we don’t act soon, the problems we’re seeing with deaths of children in Queensland will be replicated around Australia.” 

Professor Burke stressed that legal pedal-assist e-bikes remain an important and safe part of Queensland’s transport network. 

“We’ve had legal e-bikes on our streets, in parks and on footpaths for more than 15 years without major problems,” he said. “The issue is the unregulated importation and retailing of high-powered electric motorbikes.” 


Brad Flanagan, General Manager for Industry Skills at the Motor Trades Association of Queensland, said illegal electric motorbikes have no place on Queensland’s roads or paths. 

“There are unregulated, illegal motorbikes in our parks and on our footpaths. They’re a danger to the community. People are being hurt, and people are being killed,” Mr Flanagan said. 

“If you want a motorbike or e-mobility device, go to a reputable, licensed dealer. You’ll get proper advice, a legal product, and clear guidance on whether it needs to be registered or licensed.” 

Mr Flanagan said some retailers were deliberately misleading consumers. 

“We know there are unscrupulous dealers giving instructions on how to modify legal products into illegal ones. They need to be dealt with. This is about getting unsafe, unlicensed vehicles out of our parks, off our footpaths, and off our roads.” 

In the meantime, BQ CEO Prof. Matt Burke took aim at retailers selling e-motorbikes. 

“Retailers have to take some responsibility here. The business model of some shops seems to be primarily selling illegal e-motorbikes to parents and kids. It’s not an industry we’re supportive of.” 

The growth of active transport will reduce congestion and improve the health of Queensland’s cities and towns. And riding e-scooters or bikes pales in uptake compared to walking – yet the rise of non-compliant e-motorbikes and e-scooters is putting walking at risk on shared paths. 

Anna Campbell, Executive Officer of Queensland Walks, said pedestrians across the state are increasingly fearful of using shared paths. 

“Queenslanders are telling us they’re nervous about stepping out on their footpaths and shared paths because of illegal devices moving too fast,” Ms Campbell said. 

“We support e-mobility as an important part of transport equity, but we need safer paths, better enforcement, and separated infrastructure so that pedestrians, riders and rollers can all use our public spaces safely.” 

It is clear that a coordinated state and federal intervention is required, targeting illegal importers and retailers, strengthening enforcement, and ensuring safe transport and recreation for all Queenslanders and ideally, all Australians.  

Bicycle Queensland’s full submission to the Queensland Government’s Parliamentary Inquiry into E-mobility can be read online. 

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Press releases

‘Don’t buy your kids an illegal e-motorbike’: BQ warns after tragic deaths 

Bicycle Queensland has expressed deep concern following the deaths of an eight-year-old on the Sunshine Coast and a teenager on the Gold Coast in the past week. Both children were killed while riding electric motorbikes. There are many of these devices that are being sold as “e-bikes” throughout Queensland and Australia – however the majority do not meet Australia’s legal pedal-assist standards. 

What are the e-bike rules in Queensland?

BQ CEO Professor Matt Burke said the incidents highlight a growing safety crisis. 

“The recent deaths while children are using illegal e-motorbikes on the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast have been pretty concerning,” he said. “Bicycle Queensland was advocating for appropriate regulation enforcement over a year ago, having written to the Transport Minister earlier this year. Since then we have made our submissions and presented to the Queensland Parliamentary Inquiry into e-mobility, as have many of our members. 

The inquiry is due to report by 30 March 2026. In the meantime, communities are concerned about the safety not just of e-motorbike riders, but pedestrians and other road or shared path users. 

“Bicycle Queensland is strongly against these electric motorbikes and has been from the start,” Professor Burke said. “It’s going to take a bit of time with the Queensland government inquiry to finish. It’s meant to report in March next year and then it’ll take time for the government response to come through. So, it could be many, many months before we see all the changes we’d like to see.” 

Professor Burke said the bigger issue lies with federal importation rules. 

“The worst news is that the Federal government, who created this mess by deregulating importation rules, are showing absolutely no indication that they want to do anything about this and re-regulate – that’s really, really unfortunate.” Bicycle Queensland has lobbied the relevant Ministers, the Hon. Catherine King and Tony Burke, and our friends at the national cycling lobby – We Ride Australia – have been working hard, but without much success thus far.  

Bicycle Queensland wholeheartedly support the sale and use of e-bikes that do meet Queensland regulations. Half of our staff own and ride legal e-bikes. The Qld Government provided rebates to encourage their take-up as recently as September 2024. The adoption of legal e-bikes has been great for cycle commuting, for uptake of recreational cycling and growth in cycle tourism. 

In the meantime, Prof. Burke has urged Queenslanders to prioritise safety and legality when buying e-mobility devices this Christmas. Just because you can buy the device, it doesn’t mean it meets the required standards. 

“If you’re talking to your friends, to your family, whoever it is, can you just tell people don’t buy your kids an illegal motorbike for Christmas?” he said. “It’s quite likely, after the inquiry – maybe even beforehand – that people will have these vehicles impounded.”  

Bicycle Queensland is calling for: 

  • Federal action to restore import regulations and stop illegal e-motorbikes entering Australia; 
  • Immediate state measures to enforce current laws and raise public awareness; and 
  • Community education so parents understand what constitutes a legal, safe e-bike. 

 
BQ encourages anyone looking for e-bikes that are legal, fun to ride and safe to visit their local reputable bike shop and ask their advice. The Bicycle Queensland website has links to reputable bike stores that will help you know what is and isn’t legal and help you find an e-bike that meets the rules. There are great mountain e-bikes, gravel e-bikes and commuting e-bikes that are legal, a lot of fun to ride and worth considering.  

 

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Advocacy

Twin Bridges Track and Wangetti Trail forge ahead

Bicycle Queensland welcomes the news from the Queensland Government that progress on the Wangetti Trail project will resume, with the reopening of the Twin Bridges Track also set to move ahead – amongst other infrastructure projects in the region.

The Twin Bridges Track is one of a number of iconic routes on the Atherton Tablelands. A combination of old forest roads and old Aboriginal trails, the route runs from Black Mountain Road, heading east and descending into a valley before climbing back out, exiting onto Black Mountain Road just south of the historic Bump Track – which delivers riders to Port Douglas.

The trail has been used for a range of local events, and was part of the penultimate stage of the 2017 Crocodile Trophy, a UCI classified stage race that found its home in Far North Queensland for over a decade. While the route would often be damaged in the wet season, it has been closed since 2020 due to bridge deterioration and cyclone including to bridges. Contractors have now been engaged to restore and reopen the trail, which will offer new opportunities for locals and visitors to experience the region’s natural beauty by bike or on foot.

While separate from the original Wangetti Trail alignment, the reopening of Twin Bridges will complement a broader project by connecting key sections of Far North Queensland’s coast and hinterland. Works on the Ellis Beach to Wangetti link are expected to begin following the 2026 wet season, which will ultimately create a continuous trail access from Palm Cove to Port Douglas.

For mountain bikers, there is more good news. The Far North Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils (FNQROQ) has built its Regional Mountain Bike Strategy for 2024-2034, tying together 12 regional councils and numerous mountain bike trail networks. These include Atherton, Smithfield, Kuranda, Davies Creek, Cardwell and of course Wangetti. Their plan sets out long-term plans for mountain bike trail and infrastructure development and management, along with developing multi-day adventure cycling routes (ie: bikepacking) to link the region together.

Smithfield will take the limelight, as it should given its proximity to an international airport, beaches and countless places to stay. Having hosted two World Championships, numerous World Cups and three Crankworx events, Smithfield will be getting updated trail infrastructure that should bring in more major events. Expect an 85km network by late 2028, thanks to a $14-15 million dollar expansion from the Queensland’s Department of Environment, Science and Innovation and the Destination 2045 tourism plan alongside the Wangetti Trail.

Atherton has a $1 million refurbishment happening, thanks to Queensland’s disaster recovery program. The glow up will make essential repairs to about 47km of the existing 55km network, with the work undertaken by Contour Works.

Davies Creek is also working on a refurb. The fast trails have been showcased in events like Reef to Reef, but the focus is on being an all-abilities trail hub, including a 14km epic style trail and flowing singletrack. With a campsite, swimming holes and an interpretive trail – the upgrades will be made possible thanks to community funding from the Community Gambling Benefit Fund, Bendigo Bank and more.

The Wangetti Trail is slated to run 95km from Palm Cove to Port Douglas. With about 8km open to Ellis Beach, there is a lot of work to do, but this trail will have the highest appeal in the region, traversing one of the most beautiful stretches of coast line in Australia. It could be one of Australia’s Great Rides.

For Bicycle Queensland, this range of projects highlight the importance of investment in a mix of safe, accessible trails that support both recreational and adventure riding, while still pursuing more demanding trails to attract events – all while delivering economic and social value to regional towns.

“Bicycle Queensland has been part of advocacy in Far North Queensland for decades, supporting groups like the Cairns Bicycle User Group to get good outcomes on the ground,” said BQ CEO Prof. Matt Burke. “BQ helped pioneer cycle tourism in the region, bringing events like Cycle Queensland through. We will continue to support these efforts, working with other partners like Outdoors Queensland to get a better state trail network in place. We’ll continue to fight for links like the Wangetti and the Atherton-Mareeba Rail Trail. We also hope to help seed more regional cycling events up north very soon.”

With adventure rides like the FNQ Pioneer Bike Trail taking shape, trail upgrades and more, Far North Queensland is shaping up to be a mountain biking and adventure riding capital for the dry season. 

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Advocacy

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. 

Categories
Advocacy

Riders roll in to Ride2Work Day at Queen’s Wharf 

More than 150 riders joined Bicycle Queensland (BQ) and The Star this morning (October 15) for a special Ride2Work Day coffee catch-up at the Velo Café, right beside the Bicentennial Bikeway at Queen’s Wharf Brisbane. 

The event brought together regular commuters, BQ Members, occasional riders, and cycling advocates for a morning of conversation, caffeine and connection. It was a chance to celebrate the benefits of riding to work, but also celebrate riding bikes. It was also an opportunity for some guests to discuss ways to make cycling safer and more accessible across Queensland. 

BQ CEO Professor Matt Burke spoke about the importance of creating a city that supports active transport. 

“We need more bikeways and more street trees to make Brisbane a liveable, healthy city,” Professor Burke said. “Queensland already has some excellent cycling infrastructure, but it’s often disconnected. We want to see 60 kilometres of new bikeways delivered in the lead-up to Brisbane 2032 – just as Paris did to transform how people move around their city.” 

The Star’s Chief Operating Officer Kelvin Dodt also addressed the crowd, highlighting Queen’s Wharf Brisbane’s support for community initiatives and active transport to their precinct. 

“We believe this is a fantastic space. We are very much committed to making sure that the precinct is very community friendly and we work and collaborate consistently with different groups, including Bicycle Queensland, to make sure that everyone enjoys what we have to offer here in the precinct.” 

Thank you to The Star for letting us use their event space this morning, and for providing the coffees for riders! BQ was also joined by Epic Cycles, one of our BQ Link partners and a long time supporter, on hand to help give some attention to the squeaky wheels that were riding to work. CycleLaw, BQ’s legal partner, were also on hand to answer questions that BQ Members or others riding to work may have had.

Ride2Work Day is Australia’s largest celebration of day-to-day riding, encouraging more people to try cycling as a convenient, affordable and healthy way to get to work. Events like this one can help people step out their door and onto a bike for their journey, but of course to do that we need to feel safe. Bicycle Queensland will continue to advocate to make Queensland a safer and more connected place to ride a bike. 

Be a local advocate

See.Sense have also partnered with BQ for a Ride2Work promotion running for 4 weeks! Just by downloading their app, registering and making a report, you will be in with a chance to win 1 of 4 See.Sense ICON 3 rear lights! Full details are listed here.

The reports made will help build a dashboard that highlights any problem areas on popular bike routes – be it maintenance issues or user behaviour. Every bike rider can be involved in the reporting – so download the app and take part.

Categories
Advocacy

WIN 1 of 4 See.Sense ICON3 lights!

National Ride2Work day is an initiative to help get more people riding. Bicycle Queensland is holding a Ride2Work morning at Queen’s Wharf in Brisbane, along one of Australia’s most popular bike routes – the Bicentennial Bikeway.

Not all bike routes have the same line of sight or surface condition, which can impact your sense of safety along the route, or lead to an accident. See.Sense have developed an app that lets you report any issues on your regular rides, to help create a snapshot of potential issues along different bike routes.

All you need is your smart phone and the See.Sense app, downloaded and recording for your ride. As shown above, you can report any incident during your ride, including leaving notes.

Download see.sense app for iphone
Download see.sense app for andriod
Submit a report and you may win a See.Sense ICON 3 light!

See.Sense make a range of lights with inbuilt sensors that assist with reporting issues where you’re riding – as well as delivering light based on available light, meaning you can ride more and charge your light less!

See.Sense have 4 ICON 3 lights to give away. All you need to do is:
– Download the See.Sense app and register with your email address
– Submit a See.Sense report within the competition period (October 15 – November 15 2025)

Anyone who submits a report goes into a draw each week to win a See.Sense ICON 3 light – one winner per week. You don’t need to purchase a light, but BQ Members can buy one at 30% off – you can get your discount code from the Portal.

The See.Sense Report website will be available on the BQ website at the end of the competition period, so you will be able to view the reports made by others. Each report will help support the advocacy work of Bicycle Queensland to create a safer and more connected Queendland for bike and e-scooter riders.