Category: Uncategorised

Categories
Advocacy Uncategorised

Gold Coast recycling hub idea takes shape

Recycles Parts

Wouldn’t it be great if regular bike riders (such as Bicycle Queensland members for instance) had somewhere local that they could drop off for recycling those consumable items of bike riding, such as tyres, tubes and chains?

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a central location for people who are interested in low-cost bike riding could access second-hand parts, especially those items such as cranks, saddles, seat posts, and wheels which often have a useful life long after they are no longer the latest and greatest.

Wouldn’t it be great if there was somewhere for mums and dads (such as Bicycle Queensland members for instance) to be able to donate children’s bikes and even adult bikes which are no longer needed but still have plenty of useful life ahead of them?

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a central training location in our largest regional city for bicycle shops to send trainee mechanics, which also had the side benefit of fixing up low-cost donated bikes to go to worthy recipients?

The City of Gold Coast is looking at all these ideas coming together in a cycling/recycling hub. The City’s Water and Waste team hosted the first public discussions on the idea this week, and Bicycle Queensland’s Director of Advocacy Andrew Demack was there to support the concept.

Also represented in industry and community meetings were bike retailers and manufacturers, as well as groups such as Men’s Sheds and community bike repair groups.

“Bicycle Queensland’s members have so much to contribute to this type of Council-led project,” Demack said.

“We are enthusiastically supporting this project and hope to see it move from concept to pilot as soon as possible. I am sure that there are local groups in Brisbane and all the major regional cities which would love to see councils engage in proactively promoting a circular economy approach to the bike industry and many other industries.

“Bikes are well-suited to be ahead of the curve on this because the bike riding community is already very engaged on sustainability and recycling,” Demack said.

Categories
Uncategorised

Ride to Work Tax Scheme

Australia will have a Federal Election soon (before the end of May). We know Bicycle Queensland members are deeply engaged in working towards a better nation and are keen to have their say. We think that one simple change the Federal Government could make would be to allow the purchase of bicycles and e-bicycles for transport to work to be salary-sacrificed.

If you agree, please write to the candidates in your Federal electorate. We have some suggested text below.

Follow the prompts to send your letter:

  1. copy and paste the below draft into your email
  2. take the link to access your candidates information – https://www.craft.do/s/nQ1Nv2wnHuAWfu
  3. send your email for a healthier Australia
Letter to Federal Candidates

Dear candidate

One massive challenge facing Australia today is how to help people make personal changes towards a sustainable future, rather than relying on Government or business.

I’m writing to you as a candidate for the 2022 Federal Election to put forward one idea which would get us to Net Zero emissions faster and also make the population healthier.

Australia should follow the UK’s lead and give substantial tax breaks for people buying bicycles and e-bicycles used for transport (1). The UK Cycle to Work scheme generates twice as much economic benefit to the nation in health and physical fitness as it costs in lost taxes (2).

This 2:1 cost-benefit ratio makes this a no-brainer for the Australian context. Why wouldn’t we want to have a healthier population, with a lower risk of heart disease, more alert and productive at work, and reduce traffic congestion and pollution at the same time?

A Cycle To Work tax scheme would achieve all these benefits, and the UK example shows there’s simply no downside. I look forward to your response.

Yours towards a healthier Australia

regards

(name)

A bike rider.

Notes:

1.Cycle to Work scheme guidance for employers.

2.UK Cycle to Work scheme generates UKP 72 million in economic benefits a year.2022 Federal

Find your candidate below:

https://www.craft.do/s/nQ1Nv2wnHuAWfu

Categories
Uncategorised

CEO DECEMBER UPDATE

As we approach the end of 2021 – a year that will be remembered for its challenges – BQ has shown such incredible resilience in managing the difficulties and confusion brought about by the pandemic. I wish to acknowledge the great work done by the BQ team to service members and drive our agenda on active travel, cycle tourism, road safety and the environment.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to our members and valued volunteers for your ongoing support and engagement during 2021.

The BQ team will enjoy a well-earned break between December 21 and January 10 and return in 2022 focused on delivering key projects and how we best achieve our vision of more people riding more often. I want you to know that BQ will continue to do its part in making Queensland a great place to ride a bike, and we won’t stop looking for new opportunities to improve road safety.

I wish everyone who is part of the Bicycle Queensland community a peaceful, safe and happy festive season.
As always to you, your families and loved ones, stay safe in these unique times and remember to find time to ride your bike.

If you need any tips to get through your summer of riding, check out our resources below.

Santas bike buying guide

How to ride in summer

How to pack your jersey

Categories
Press releases Uncategorised

2022 Membership Price Update

Dear Members,

It has been lovely to engage with many of you via social media, phone, video calls and more recently the Brisbane to Gold Coast Cycle Challenge. The easing of restrictions is providing more opportunities to meet with members and stakeholders in person which is wonderful. Our recent trip to Mackay for the Annual Local Government Authority conference is a great example of this. From our discussions with councillors at the conference, our campaigning on the role cycling plays in connecting communities and building a robust adventure tourism industry is being heard.

The diverse array of projects the BQ team will be delivering in 2022 will reinforce our strategic approach to position cycling high on the Government’s health, social, planning, tourism, and transport agendas.
Whilst there is still much to do, we continue to work hard to achieve our mission of getting more people riding more often. To ensure we can continue to provide a comprehensive membership, we’ll be increasing the cost of our membership categories from 1st January 2022.

TypeMonthlyAnnually
Individual$11.99$129
Household of 2 $14.99 $165
Household of 3+$16.99 $189
Individual Concession$8.99 $95
BQ Supporter (excludes insurance) $5.00 $47

This increase will ensure you still retain the best value for money cycling membership in Australia. You will also retain the same level of insurance, which is the best insurance product available. I thought it was important to share with you what this increase will also allow us to do:

  • Invest in and develop new staff to increase our advocacy efforts on behalf of our members
  • Engage town planners and policy makers to support BQ infrastructure campaigns
  • Create new education resources for members to increase members skills and knowledge
  • Develop our Commuter Harmony Alliance stakeholder map and campaigning
  • Invest in new digital platforms to work strategically with regional and metropolitan Bicycle User Groups
  • Develop new events in partnership with like-minded organisations to reach and service members outside southeast Queensland
  • Develop and invest in new digital tools to improve communication and the membership process
  • Continue to build our school-based education program to achieve our long-term goal of more Queensland children “actively’ travelling to school
  • Assist us to meet the rising cost of insurance and operational expenses

This increase will enable us to continue to provide the quality and breadth of services you love and expect from us. If you have any questions about the price increase or membership packages, don’t hesitate to contact myself or our membership team.

Happy and safe riding.

Rebecca Randazzo

Bicycle Queensland, CEO

Categories
Advice Advocacy Uncategorised

COP26 CYCLING LETTER

Zero emission cycling.

COP26: More than 250 civil society organisations sign open letter calling on governments to boost global cycling levels to reach climate goals quickly and effectively

An open letter by the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) and a global coalition of pro-cycling organisations urging governments to cut transport emissions by investing in cycling has seen a surge in support from all over the world.

Since it was published on 2 November, over 190 civil society organisations have added their signature to the letter, which now counts more than 250 signatories from all over the world, including ECF, Greenpeace and Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). The letter calls on governments at COP26 to commit to significantly increasing the number of people who cycle in their countries in order to reach climate goals quickly and effectively. 

As the global pro-cycling movement continues to grow ahead of COP26 Transport Day (10 November), which is set to focus almost exclusively on the electrification of road vehicles, governments and transport ministers will be under pressure to take cycling into account when negotiating climate commitments related to the transport sector.

Today, transportation is responsible for 24% of direct CO₂ emissions from fuel combustion, with the vast majority coming from cars, and these numbers are not decreasing. With global temperaturs rising fast, humanity cannot afford to wait decades for fossil-fuel cars to be fully phased out and replaced by electric vehicles. To quickly cut transport emissions on a massive scale and keep 1.5°C alive, governments need to invest in much more cycling now.

Combat climate change

ECF and its allies believe cycling represents one of humanity’s greatest hopes for a shift towards a zero-carbon future. Cycling produces zero emissions, delivers far-reaching positive societal impacts and relies on technology that is already widely available today.

The more than 250 signatories to the open letter call on governments and transport ministers attending COP26 to declare commitments to significantly boost cycling levels at home and collectively commit to achieving a global target of higher cycling levels. The letter was sent to governments ahead of COP26.

Bicycle Queensland is in full support of this movement. More people cycling more often is our goal and a global movement to get more people on bikes is incredibly important.

Jill Warren, CEO of the European Cyclists’ Federation: “The dramatic growth of this global civil society movement in only a few days sends a forceful message to governments at COP26 about the importance of active mobility. There is no conceivable way to reduce CO₂ emissions quickly enough to avoid the worst of the climate crisis without significantly more cycling.” 

Henk Swarttouw, President of the European Cyclists’ Federation: “More people riding bicycles will reduce our transport emissions and help save our planet. It will also stimulate our green economic recovery after COVID-19 and relieve our overburdened public health systems. Investing in cycling is a low-cost, low-tech no-brainer. It is what any sensible political leader should be doing right now.”

Read the open letter to governments at COP26: www.cop26cycling.com

This article was created by the European Cyclist Federation.

Categories
Press releases Uncategorised

Meet Ollie – A Brisbane to Gold Coast Superstar

Ollie and Scott B2GC
Ollie and Scott at Brisbane to Gold Coast Cycle Challenge

As the dust settles from a fantastic Downer Brisbane to Gold Coast Cycle Challenge, we reflect on some of the incredible stories of the event and the opportunities bike riding brings to people’s lives.

Ollie and his Father Scott took on the 100km challenge this year and completed it like true champions. Ollie, 14, faces more challenges than most when getting on the bike, he is legally blind and was diagnosed with Retinoblastoma (cancer of the eye) at birth. He has spent his fair share of time in hospital fighting his battle, but that has never stopped him from getting back on the bike.  

The B2GC event was a massive day for Ollie, completing his longest ride with the added challenge of another 4,300 plus riders in the mix. Scott and Ollie found their rhythm pretty quickly and were on their way to the Gold Coast at a very nice pace. Like normal, Ollie followed Dad’s wheel into rest stop 1 with barely a sweat on, a croissant, mandarin and the boys were back on the bike.

The duo found themselves helping a few other riders along the way by taking the wind in a little pace line that had formed behind them. A quick check-in from Dad received a cheeky “you can go faster if you want”. The pair rolled into the Coomera rest stop in good shape, a quick bite to eat and they were on the home stretch for Ollie’s biggest ride.

Strongly turning the wheels through the last few kilometres of the course, Ollie and Scott hit the finish line just past 9.30 am. Ollie’s Mum had planned to meet her boys at 11.30 am to see them cross the line in Southport. However, Ollie smashed all expectations and was simply too quick for Mum on this occasion.

Scott let us know how proud Ollie was of what he had just achieved, a very impressive milestone to add to his collection. A 100km ride is an incredible achievement for any rider, but to think young 14-year Ollie with Retinoblastoma breezed through this event goes to show no matter what life throws at you, anything is possible!

Thank you to Scott for sending in this wonderful story, we are thrilled to see the happiness bike riding brings to peoples lives and we can’t wait to have Ollie and Scott involved next year.

Scott and Ollie at B2GC finish line festival in Southport
Categories
Uncategorised

Victoria Park August Closures

Please note extended changes to the temporary closures of Victoria Park pedestrian and cycle path. The UNITY Alliance has notified Bicycle Queensland the following statement:

The UNITY Alliance wishes to advise cyclists and pedestrians that intermittent off-peak closures of the Victoria Park shared user path behind Brisbane Girls Grammar School will be undertaken until late August 2020.

These intermittent closures will be implemented outside morning and afternoon peak periods between 9:00am and 4:00pm between Monday and Saturday.

See Works Notice PDF here for further details.

Categories
Uncategorised

Bicentennial Bikeway changes from Monday 29 June

Early works to investigate ground conditions are in sections adjacent to the Bicentennial Bikeway, which may require some temporary reductions in width, however bikeway access will be maintained at all times. 
What to expect

The bikeway will remain open, with the width reduced in some areas while works are underway. Works will include: 

– A drill rig and support vehicles 

– Temporary fencing around the exclusion area 

– Workers in the exclusion area undertaking drilling and test pit works 

– Intermittent noise while drilling occurs. 

Read the full construction notice here