Category: Advocacy

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Advocacy

Victora Park bike access confirmed 

Bike riders and pedestrians will continue to have access through Victoria Park during early works for the Brisbane 2032 stadium precinct, with a temporary protected shared path set to open from June 1. 

While large sections of Victoria Park public green space will progressively close as construction begins, the temporary corridor will maintain an important north-south active transport connection between the North Brisbane Bikeway and Herston. 

The temporary route will run from the end of the North Brisbane Bikeway along Gilchrist Avenue towards the land bridge at Herston, providing a wide, protected space for people walking, riding and rolling through the area.  

The measure is expected to remain in place while a permanent dedicated shared path is constructed, which will be part of a broader set of active transport routes as part of the infrastructure delivery. 

The connection is significant for commuters, recreational riders and local residents who regularly use Victoria Park as a safer and more direct route between the inner north, Kelvin Grove, Herston and the CBD. 

Maintaining riding and pedestrian access during major construction projects is essential, particularly as Brisbane prepares for rapid population growth and the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

Bicycle Queensland CEO Matthew Burke said: “We know cyclists have been very worried. But we’re really grateful the project team has thought of us, planned for us, designed for us, and are now implementing a reasonable solution as early works begin. We’ll have a safe temporary route through Gilchrist Ave at first, then what should be a safe route off the North Brisbane Bikeway and around the stadium in the construction phase.” 

He said: “We should maintain pretty good access to and from the North Brisbane Bikeway right through the stadium development. It won’t be as convenient for those coming from Herston and the Enoggera Creek Bike Bridge, and cyclists will have to keep alert for construction traffic.”  

“We’ve also asked for all heavy vehicles to use protection side guards, also known as ‘skirts’, to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe, like they do in London.”   

The temporary arrangements come amid growing community concern about maintaining safe walking and cycling access during large-scale infrastructure works across Brisbane ahead of the Games. 

Victoria Park’s bikeways have become increasingly important transport corridors in recent years. They provide connections to schools, hospitals, universities and the city centre, as well as being key training and recreational bicycle routes. 

The long-term plan for the precinct is said to include expanded active transport infrastructure designed to improve connectivity across the inner north, with dedicated cycling and pedestrian facilities expected to form part of the final network. Delivering permanent, high-quality active transport infrastructure as part of the Games legacy is vitally important for Brisbane and the Games. 

Further details about construction staging and future active transport infrastructure are expected as planning for the Victoria Park stadium precinct progresses. 

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Advocacy

CEO Update: Queensland’s draft e-mobility laws

BQ's E-bike rally at Brisbane Botanic Gardens 21-04-2026 to save safe legal e-bikes. Photo by Element Photo and Video Productions.

From Dr. Matthew Burke

Over 3,200 submissions were received by the Parliamentary Committee reviewing Queensland’s proposed new e-mobility laws. This is one of the biggest out-pourings of concern about a piece of legislation the Parliament has seen in the last decade. The local bicycle user groups (BUGs), especially the Brisbane and Toowoomba BUGs, Space for Cycling and the Story Bridge Active Travel Alliance, have all worked tirelessly. Thank you everyone! Well done! 

Inquiry recommendations
bq’s solution
action you can take
updates


Analysis of the submissions conducted by the bike advocacy community reveals only 4% or less of the thousands of submissions released thus far are likely form-letter responses. That’s incredibly low for submissions to an inquiry like this. What this shows is that Queenslanders from all walks of life are clearly unimpressed with the proposed laws and have taken the time to write genuine submissions.

More than 90% of the submissions support Bicycle Queensland’s positions. Queenslanders don’t want car licences for safe, legal e-bikes. They don’t want 10km/h speeds. They don’t want shared paths and rail trails treated like footpaths. They don’t want low age limits. They want all the safe, legal e-bikes they’ve purchased to stay compliant.

bq’s submission

Andrew Demack, BQ’s Director of Advocacy, and I appeared as witnesses to the committee in late April, along with a who’s who of affected stakeholders. The Bicycle Industries Australia, the Brisbane West Bicycle Users Group, the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail Association, Lime, Neuron, Uber-Eats, Doordash, the Queensland Tourism Industry Council, the big local governments, the disability sector, the Public Advocate, and even a coalition of 15 Queensland transport professors. The message received by the Committee was loud and clear throughout: this bill has been badly drafted; there are issues that are not yet resolved; and, as BQ has made abundantly clear, the key problem of the illegal devices won’t be fixed. The bill still allows the same shops selling the same illegal bikes and scooters to remain in business and keep selling their same illegal products under the ‘private property use only’ loophole. This is the same way every illegal device currently on the streets has already been sold in Queensland.  

At this late stage we hope the bill is at least delayed, if not pulled entirely, for a rethink. BQ has long had ‘off-ramps’ available to the government to help solve this mess.  

We know proof-of-age would give the Queensland Police Service all they need to clamp down on illegal device riders – who the cops need to ID – without the overkill of requiring cyclists to have a driver’s licence. Changing this in the bill would solve all the discriminatory issues compulsory licence-holding creates for the disabled, seniors, international students and others. This would keep our shared e-mobility schemes (Lime, Neuron) alive in Queensland and allow international tourists to use them during the Olympics. It would keep Uber-Eats drivers in a job and ensure Dominos can still get a pizza to your door.   

We know that if the Department can do a good job defining a footpath in the legislation, they can then achieve what the Parliamentary Committee wanted in placing a speed restriction on footpaths, but leave alone all the shared paths, rail trails and shared multi-use trails that cyclists use. That would stop forcing local governments to spend hundreds-of-millions of dollars across the state assessing, then signing, every shared path or trail they want to assign a non-default speed to. We also know that cyclists are much more stable, upright, and able to manage road risk at 15km/h or 20km/h than at 10km/h, if the government remains determined to put a speed limit just on footpaths. 

We know the Bicycle Industries Australia proposal for e-bike compliance/assurance to be provided by retailers, and labelled on a sticker on the frame, would provide a pathway to compliance for those of us without a permanent standards mark on our safe, legal e-bikes. This would also help the police with enforcement. The bike industry has already thought through how this can work.  

We are calling on the Transport Minister to intervene and #savelegalebikes. There were signs the Committee members have realised the unintended consequences of the proposed laws, and are considering the possible ways out.

Minister Mickelberg can step in and save this.   

defend safe, legal e-bikes
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Advocacy

Understanding the impacts of Queensland’s draft e-mobility legislation

BQ's E-bike rally at Brisbane Botanic Gardens 21-04-2026 to save safe legal e-bikes. Photo by Element Photo and Video Productions.

In light of the Queensland Government’s Draft e-mobility legislation, BQ hosted a pop up advocacy event in the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens on the morning of April 21. With a lot of confusion around who the laws may effect and how, we wanted to be able to meet concerned riders to either inspect their bike for compliance, and hear how the draft laws may impact them. 

BQ’s E-bike rally at Brisbane Botanic Gardens 21-04-2026 to save safe legal e-bikes. Photo by Element Photo and Video Productions.

With over 100 riders dropping past, many bikes were inspected. Of the 40 bikes we managed to inspect to determine if they would meet the updated compliance, only 1 passed. However, all 40 are safe, legal e-bikes that are compliant under the current EN15194 regulations. 

Along with other riding advocacy groups, BQ has major concerns about other new laws, including the maximum 10km/h speed for safe, legal e-bikes on shared paths and trails, and the need for a car licence and the under-16 ban. 

how to defend safe, legal e-bikes

We heard from riders who express concern that their use of a safe, legal e-bike to get around, meet friends and stay active might see them breaking the law – thanks to legislation that has been rushed through, without proper consultation to understand the negative impacts to riders of safe, legal e-bikes that meet the global compliance standards. 

BQ’s E-bike rally at Brisbane Botanic Gardens 21-04-2026 to save safe legal e-bikes. Photo by Element Photo and Video Productions.
BQ’s E-bike rally at Brisbane Botanic Gardens 21-04-2026 to save safe legal e-bikes. Photo by Element Photo and Video Productions.
BQ’s E-bike rally at Brisbane Botanic Gardens 21-04-2026 to save safe legal e-bikes. Photo by Element Photo and Video Productions.

‘This bike has just been so fantastic to open up my experience of Brisbane,’ one rider told us, who uses her e-bike for commuting, but also to visit other parts of Brisbane for nights out with her partner or friends. ‘And I’m being classed in the same sort of category as the illegal motorbikes, which is very unfair.’ 

‘We are getting people out of cars, we are getting them onto public transport, we are getting them onto bikes – we should keep that up,’ Joe Kelly MP told us while visiting the event. ‘If 95% of people are telling you you’re getting something wrong, you should probably listen to them.’ 

BQ had other politicians come along to show support, including Mark Bailey and Bart Mellish.  

‘This exercise was useful in demonstrating to the public the scale of the problem of this bill, in currently having no pathway to compliance for bikes without a permanent EN15194 marking,’ said BQ’s CEO Dr Matthew Burke. ‘So many of the existing safe, legal e-bikes are going to be made non-compliant.’ 
 

While thousands of people have made submissions as a response to the draft legislation, you can still make an impact. Write to your local member to express your point of view, and if you’d like to support Bicycle Queensland you can do so via a donation, or better yet – by becoming a BQ Member. 

BQ’s E-bike rally at Brisbane Botanic Gardens 21-04-2026 to save safe legal e-bikes. Photo by Element Photo and Video Productions.
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Advocacy

Riders rally to save legal e-bikes

Bicycle Queensland is calling on riders to join a public pop-up event in Brisbane’s City Botanic Gardens on April 21 (7:15 – 8:30am), as concerns grow over proposed changes to Queensland’s e-mobility laws. The event, centred around the message #savelegalebikes, will highlight the real-world impact of the draft legislation. This includes rendering most current safe, legal e-bikes non-compliant on the 1st of July, and banning riding of e-bikes at over 10km/h on much of the state’s bikeway network. 

event details
draft bill
bq’s submission

Bicycle Queensland CEO Dr Matt Burke said the proposed changes risk undermining years of progress in active transport. 

“These are everyday riders on safe, legal e-bikes, purchased from reputable retailers. They are not the dangerous high-speed devices the Government was meant to be focusing on,” Dr Burke said. “Hardly any bikes have the permanent marking from the manufacturer saying “EN15194(2017)A+1″ that the draft bill requires. If you don’t have that marking there is no pathway in the legislation to become compliant, even if your bike meets all the standards, is low-powered and low-speed.”

E-bikes and e-mobility are getting people moving.

More than 200,000 safe, legal e-bikes will be affected, and at least as many riders.  These safe legal e-bikes are worth over $900,000 according to Bicycle Industries Australia (BIA) estimates. 

Dr Burke said, “If this legislation is passed in its present form, we will effectively kill safe, legal e-biking in Queensland by the end of the year. There is a short amnesty, but without a pathway to compliance, my bike and hundreds of thousands of others will be junk.” 

At the event, riders will be invited to have their bikes investigated , with results publicly tallied to demonstrate the scale of the issue. Brisbane riders can also see maps of all the routes they will no longer be able to ride more than 10km/h, removing so much of the bikeway network. The exercise is designed to show how broadly the changes could impact ordinary Queenslanders. BQ will also be joined by eScootNow who will also do a pop-up safety check for personal mobility devices (PMDs).

Bicycle Queensland is advocating for targeted amendments, including: 

·         A clear pathway to compliance for existing e-bikes  

·         Removal of proposed 10km/h speed limits on shared paths  

·         No introduction of age restrictions  

·         No requirement for riders to hold a driver’s licence  

“Safe, legal e-biking is not, and has never been the problem,” Dr Burke said. “We are making Queensland the most difficult place on earth to ride a safe, legal e-bike, without fixing the real problem. The dangerous high-speed illegal devices will still be on sale in the very same shops currently selling them on 1st July under this draft bill.”

The event will also provide an opportunity for riders to share their experiences and explain how the proposed laws would affect their daily travel, recreation, and wellbeing. 

Bicycle Queensland is encouraging all riders, supporters, and community members to attend and make their voices heard. Event details are on our event calendar.

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Advocacy

BQ’s submission on e-mobility bill

Bicycle Queensland has delivered our submission to the Transport and Other Legislation (Managing E-mobility Use and Protecting Our Communities) Amendment Bill 2026 to the State Development, Infrastructure and Works Committee.

read the draft bill


While BQ is supportive of many elements of the Bill, we have outlined the main parts of the Bill that BQ does not support, as we seek to defend safe, legal e-bike use. Licensing, 10km/h limits on shared paths, age restrictions and a lack of clear e-bike definitions will harm the uptake of safe, legal e-biking and reduce participation in active transport and recreation. This will have a direct impact on road congestion and road trauma involving bike riders.

This Bill will make Queensland the hardest place in the world to ride a safe, legal e-bike.

And it still won’t fix the problem.

You can read our final submission:

bicycle queensland’s formal submission


If you stand with Bicycle Queensland and don’t want to see impacts to safe, legal e-bike use – please act now. Every voice counts! We encourage you to use the key points of our submission, or the complete submission.

Urgent changes BQ is requesting

1. A clear and workable e-bike definition – that covers the 200,000+ safe, legal e-bikes Queenslanders own now.

2. Dropping all licensing, speed limits and age bans for legal e-bikes – they are an unreasonable imposition, supported by absolutely no evidence, and are unnecessary if we get rid of the illegal devices.

3. Investment in the active transport infrastructure Queensland needs – as not one additional dollar has been committed to this, despite the Parliamentary Inquiry’s recommendation.

You can take the actions below:

  1. Write to your local State MP, to explain the positive impacts of e-mobility and how the above recommendations would limit your use of active transport and recreation. Look up your local member here online. 
  2. Write to the Minister for Transport at email: transportandmainroads@ministerial.qld.gov.au. 
  3. Join Bicycle Queensland. Help us fight for you for just $49 via a BQ Supporter membership. Or get insurance too with our full, concession or household membership packages.  
Join bicycle queensland
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Advocacy

Defend safe, legal e-bike use 

Bicycle Queensland has welcomed the tabling of the Queensland Parliamentary Inquiry report into e-mobility safety and use, as around 90% of the recommendations are just what we have been asking for.  

CEO Dr Matthew Burke said the report contains important steps toward clarifying what is a legal, safe e-bike is and what is an e-motorbike. This will strengthen enforcement against illegal high-powered devices, and help to embed e-mobility into transport planning.  

Inquiry recommendations
new laws explained
action you can take
updates
The issue 

BQ has serious concerns regarding at least three recommendations from the Inquiry. These could undo most of the positives provided by the other recommendations.  

Licensing Requirement  

Bicycle Queensland strongly opposes the recommendation requiring riders to hold an Australian Driver’s Licence, or car learner’s permit (a Queensland Class C learner licence).  

“Any reforms must protect the right of Queenslanders to ride safe, legal bicycles and e-bikes without unnecessary barriers – this is not the time to make safe cycling harder or less appealing,” said Dr Burke.  

Such a requirement would have sweeping and unintended consequences across Queensland’s transport, tourism and delivery sectors.   

Queensland has whole suburbs where around 30% of households do not have anyone with a licence. That’s exactly where safe, legal e-bikes are really helpful to provide a transport solution. This proposal will take that away.   

Many seniors and people with a disability who don’t hold a licence enjoy riding bikes on the safe off-road path network. Many don’t have licences and some could never sit and pass a licence test. Their right-to-ride would be lost under this proposal.   

People who’ve lost their licence for drug or drink driving often switch to safe, legal e-bikes to get to work or to take their kids to school. Many will now have no viable way to do either.  

E-bike hire schemes, like the Lime e-bikes on the Gold Coast, could be wiped out.  

International tourists wouldn’t be able to hire an e-bike anywhere in Queensland, including during the Olympics.  

There would be further impacts Queensland’s food delivery services, much of which happens on e-bikes and e-scooters, and uses international students in their first job. This would raise prices, increase delivery times or potentially see these services end in parts of Queensland.  

Age Threshold  

While Bicycle Queensland supports introducing an age threshold for e-mobility devices, a minimum age of 16 is likely too restrictive.  

A 16 and higher limit impacts families who use legal, safe e-bikes for recreation and transport, including the journey to school.  

Teenagers were using safe, legal e-bikes for decades without much issue. It was only when the over-powered illegal e-motorbikes arrived that this became a concern. If we adopt the other Inquiry recommendations and get the illegal vehicles off the streets and pathways, and get kids onto safe, legal e-bikes, there is no reason that the age limit should not be set lower. This would keep teenagers cycling and not punish parents and guardians who would otherwise have to drive them to school.  

Young riders involved in recreational e-mountain biking have not been associated with the urban safety concerns driving the inquiry – but the outcomes would directly and adversely impact them.  E-mountain biking using safe and legal e-bikes is incredibly popular.  

NSW has just formed an expert panel to determine an appropriate age somewhere between 12 and 16. Bicycle Queensland believes an age limit somewhere between 12 and 14 is more appropriate.  

10km/h speed limits on footpaths  

Bicycle Queensland supports regulation for safety on footpaths. But a 10km/h speed limit for e-bikes on footpaths has unresolvable problems.   

For decades we’ve allowed cyclists – including legal e-bikes – to ride on footpaths without such restrictions, without much problem. When other proposed measures remove high-speed illegal e-motorbikes from the path network we should not need a 10km/h speed limit.  

It is unclear whether most of Queensland’s shared paths are actually ‘footpaths’, under existing legislation. This would be putting a 10km/h speed limit on almost every shared path, riverside and foreshore path, and long-distance rail trail in the entire state. That would kill off most legal e-bike commuting on our existing networks and criminalise e-biking on the rail trails. This is surely not what the Parliamentary Committee was thinking, but this might be the unintended outcome.   

Additionally, it can be difficult to ride any bike at 10km/h, increasing wobble, reducing rider control, and adding risk to others path users.   

Queensland’s bike routes use a mix of bikeways, shared paths and roads. Installing signage to make clear the change in arrangements and speed limits would be an unaffordable burden on councils (there are ten of thousands of shared path segments out there), for little benefit.   

BQ’s solution 

The rest of the world encourages e-mobility to reduce traffic congestion and create better communities, and so should Queensland. 

Bicycle Queensland calls to reject the recommendation for any form of licence to use legal e-bikes. Only North Korea asks riders of safe, legal, low-speed e-bikes to have a licence.  

Bicycle Queensland supports an age threshold for safe and legal e-bikes be introduced. But it should be set somewhere between 12 and 14 years of age.  

Bicycle Queensland also calls to reject the proposed 10km/h speed limit for footpaths, given the likely unintended consequences of putting this limit on most of the shared path network, including our long-distance rural rail-trails and commuter bikeways. This will kill off key tourism and recreational riding in regions, and put many commuters back into cars on crowded streets, increasing traffic congestion.  

Action you can take

If you stand with Bicycle Queensland and don’t want to see the above impacts to safe, legal e-bike use – please act now: 

  1. Write to your local State MP, to explain the positive impacts of e-mobility and how the above recommendations would limit your use of active transport and recreation. Look up your local member here online. 
  2. Write to the Minister for Transport at email: transportandmainroads@ministerial.qld.gov.au. 
  3. Join Bicycle Queensland. Help us fight for you for just $49 via a BQ Supporter membership. Or get insurance too with our full, concession or household membership packages.  

You can use our above points to form the basis of your own submission.

join bicycle queensland

Updates 

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Advocacy

BQ’s concerns over calls for e-bike licences

Bicycle Queensland has welcomed the tabling of the Queensland Parliamentary Inquiry report into e-mobility safety and use, as around 90% of the recommendations are just what we have been asking for. 

CEO Dr Matthew Burke said the report contains important steps toward clarifying what is an e-bike and what is an e-motorbike, strengthening enforcement against illegal high-powered devices, and embedding e-mobility into transport planning. 

“This report recognises that compliant e-bikes and e-mobility devices are a legitimate and valuable part of Queensland’s transport system,” Dr Burke said. 

With clear definitions, stronger retail standards, anti-tampering laws and proper enforcement against illegal e-motorbikes we should be able to greatly reduce the numbers of dangerous high-speed vehicles from our bikepaths. 

“These devices are not e-bikes. They are unregistered electric motorbikes and should be treated as such,” Dr Burke said. 

However, BQ has serious concerns regarding three recommendations: 

Licensing Requirement 

Bicycle Queensland strongly opposes the recommendation requiring riders to hold an Australian Driver’s Licence, or car learner’s permit (a Queensland Class C learner licence). 

Dr Burke said “Any reforms must protect the right of Queenslanders to ride compliant bicycles and e-bikes without unnecessary barriers – this is not the time to make safe cycling harder or less appealing.” 

Such a requirement would have sweeping and unintended consequences across Queensland’s transport, tourism and delivery sectors.  

A licensing requirement would undermine public e-mobility schemes, including Neuron and Lime e-scooter and e-bike operations. Young people, students and international visitors use these services. We don’t want schemes like Lime’s Gold Coast e-bikes to be shut down.  

Many seniors and people with a disability who don’t hold a licence enjoy riding bikes on the safe off-road path network. Many don’t have licences and some could never sit and pass a licence test. Their right-to-ride would be lost under this proposal.  

The food delivery companies such as UberEats, DoorDash and Domino’s provide work for e-bike and e-scooter riders, many of whom are international students securing their first Australian job on arrival. That whole industry may be jeopardised by this proposal, as it creates a significant barrier to this employment.  

Queensland has whole suburbs where around 30% of households do not have anyone with a licence. That’s exactly where safe, legal e-bikes are really helpful to people. Again, this proposal will take that away.  

Bicycle Queensland is already working with a coalition of industry groups and other stakeholder to defeat this proposal. 

Age Threshold 

While Bicycle Queensland supports introducing an age threshold for e-mobility devices, a minimum age of 16 is likely too restrictive. 

The proposed threshold would dramatically impact families who use legal, compliant e-bikes for recreation and transport. Young riders involved in recreational e-mountain biking have not been associated with the urban safety concerns driving the inquiry – but the outcomes would directly and adversely impact them. 

We would prefer to switch the many thousands of high schoolers travelling on over-powered, high-speed e-motorbikes across to safe, legal e-bikes. Queensland would be much better off if those kids weren’t driven to school again. 

NSW just last month announced an expert panel to choose a minimum age somewhere between 12 and 16 years old.  

“We believe a more appropriate threshold would sit between 12 and 14 years of age,” Dr Burke said. 

10km/h speed limits on footpaths 

Bicycle Queensland supports regulation for safety on footpaths. But a 10km/h speed limit for e-bikes on footpaths has unresolvable problems.  

For decades we’ve allowed cyclists – including legal e-bikes – to ride on footpaths without such restrictions, without much problem. When other proposed measures remove high-speed illegal e-motorbikes from the path network we should not need a 10km/h speed limit. 

Most importantly, the loss of centrifugal forces at low speed makes it hard to ride any bike at 10km/h, increasing wobble, reducing rider control, and adding risk to others path users. 

Bike routes are also not like the street networks that car drivers know. Most of Queensland’s designated bike routes have sections that include footpaths. Where a shared path ends and a footpath begins is often unclear. There is usually no signage to indicate the change. Installing signage to make clear the change would be an unaffordable burden on councils, for little benefit.  

Right to Ride 

“We must not allow poorly targeted reforms to punish the majority of responsible riders,” Dr Burke said. 

“This report gets much of the framework right. Now we need to ensure the final legislative response preserves accessibility, fairness and common sense.” 

“We will work through the rest of the recommendations and provide a fuller response in the coming weeks.” 

Read the complete report

Bicycle Queensland’s submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry

Queensland’s e-bike rules

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Advocacy

Bicycle Queensland’s Fortitude Valley Precinct Submission

Bicycle Queensland recently made a submission for the Fortitude Valley Sustainable Growth Precinct Plan. The submission asks for five things:

  • A safe route to go from the hospital precinct to New Farm for riders, and from Breakfast Creek through to the city centre. Routes are on the Principle Cycle Network Plan – but nothing has been built.
  • New developments should contribute to works that will deliver the safe cycling infrastructure.
  • Better end of trip facilities in any new apartment or office complex built in the area.
  • Less parking priority to stop flooding dense inner city areas with private vehicles.
  • Get a public park built from the funds so far collected.
read the whole submission