Welcome to WeRide’s latest e-news, in this edition:

  • 2023 Cycling Luminaries Awards Gala Dinner
  • 2023 Australian Cycling and e-Scooter Economy Report reveals health and environmental benefits
  • The Parliamentary Friends of Cycling group hosts Gala Dinner
  • WeRide assists the Tasmania Government on their e-bike incentives program
  • Amy Gillett Foundation launches the BikeSpot app
  • WeRide leads panel with global transport leader at eMobility LIVE
  • WeRide submission to the National Sport Plan

WATCH THE RECORDING OF OUR DECEMBER VIDEO NEWS HERE

Above: Photo from the official launch in Parliament with our contributing partners for the 2023 Australian Cycling and e-Scooter Economy Report.

2023 Cycling Luminaries Awards Gala Dinner

The end of the year has been very busy with the culmination of two years of work resulting in the launch of the most comprehensive Australian Cycling and e-Scooter Economy Report ever and an amazing night at the national Cycling Luminaries Awards.

We celebrated the finalists and four fantastic winners of the 2023 Cycling Luminaries Awards in Parliament House on the 15th November.

They were announced in a Gala Dinner that was hosted by the Parliamentary Friends of Cycling and attended by the finalists, industry guests and MPs.

These Awards have been run since 2002 and this year the Awards went to….

  • The Causeway Link Alliance in WA for Built Environment
  • Open Streets – Bicycle Network for Bike Culture and Behaviour Change
  • Our Leadership winner was Charlene Bordley from Addventageous, and
  • The judges recognised Revolve Recycling with a Special Recognition Award for Social Impact.

More information is available in our News Post on the Awards event here.

Thanks to our sponsors CycleCover Insurance, Mobility LIVE and Drapac Capital Partners.

WATCH THE RECORDING OF OUR DECEMBER VIDEO NEWS HERE

Australian Cycling and e-Scooter Economy Report reveals health and environmental benefits

Work started with Ernst and Young two years ago on our Australian Cycling and e-Scooter Economy Report. It was the largest cycling expenditure survey and research report ever undertaken in this country.

It took a broad look at health, environmental and social benefits, conducted a deep dive into the economic contribution of cycle tourism across Australia and introduced economic impact of the e-scooter sector for the first time.

It revealed that an estimated 6.5 million adults cycled in 2022 and the economic contribution of cycling and e-scooters was $18.6 billion.

This included nearly a billion dollars in health and social benefits from cycling and avoided emissions of half a billion tons of emitted CO2, the equivalent to taking 207,000 cars off the road!

Cycle tourism is contributing a staggering $1.88 billion, primarily to regional economies across the country.

Above: the Report includes both direct economic and wider health, social and environmental benefits of cycling and e-scooters.

Thanks to Assistant Treasurer, the Hon. Stephen Jones MP, who officially launched the Report. He was supported by the Shadow Treasurer, the Hon. Angus Taylor MP.

This enormous undertaking would not have been possible without our Program Partners, RACV and Safe Cycling by the Amy Gillett Foundation, the ACT, NSW, Queensland and Western Australian Governments and our industry, bicycle organisation and e-scooter sector partners. Head to our home page for more information.

WATCH THE RECORDING OF OUR DECEMBER VIDEO NEWS HERE

Parliamentary Friends of Cycling Group

WeRide is honoured that bike riders have the support of three Champions for Cycling in federal Parliament.

Zaneta Mascarenhas the Member for Swan WA, the Honourable Andrew Wallace the Member for Fisher QLD and Dr Helen Haines the Member for Indi all Co-Chair the Parliamentary Friends of Cycling group WeRide established in 2020.

We have run many events in Parliament and this year they covered the active transport boom in China with a briefing from Sam Johnson and Sara Stace who participated in this webinar on the subject, adaptive mobility or assistive technology that can make all the difference for those experiencing a disability and of course the Gala Awards Dinner and Cycling Economy report launch in November.

Above: the Parliamentary Friends of Cycling group welcomed their colleagues and guests to an event showcasing the latest machines that give back mobility to those suffering disability.

Above: WeRide Board Director Osher Gunsberg takes a selfie with Dr Monique Ryan MP, Allegra Spender MP and Dr Helen Haines MP.

Above: The independent member for Indi and Co-Chair of the Friends of Cycling group, Dr Helen Haines MP, opens the Gala Awards Dinner in Parliament House on 15th November.

Above: the Member for Fisher and Friends of Cycling Co-Chair, Andrew Wallace, takes the Member for Fremantle, Josh Wilson, for a ride in the House.

We are looking forward to making 2024 another big year as we advocate for the bike’s role in environment, health, infrastructure and safety.

WATCH THE RECORDING OF OUR DECEMBER VIDEO NEWS HERE

WeRide assists the Tasmania Government on their e-bike incentives program

Announced in 2023 by Tasmanian Minister for Environment and Climate Change, the Hon. Roger Jaensch, the financial incentives for e-bike purchases have made the news across the Australian cycling sector.

WeRide has been assisting the Tasmanian Government with many aspects of their e-bike laws and Peter Bourke’s assistance was requested recently and followed up with a meeting with senior departmental officials.

Our organisation is uniquely placed to assist nationally with the extensive technical and federal political experience we’ve gained from nearly two decades of action for bikes.

Amy Gillett Foundation launches the BikeSpot app

A big shout out to the great effort by the Amy Gillett Foundation to get national data on bike black spots through their BikeSpot app.

Optimised online for mobiles, you simply drop a pin on black spots and add as much detail as you want.

Check it out at bikespot.org. It’s quick, it’s easy and you can also drop pins where bike infrastructure is very good. It will continue collecting your data until the end of February 2024.

Above: BikeSpot’s map of Melbourne showing the numbers of pins already ‘dropped’ by cyclists to assist this important national initiative to get better data to assist governments understand where the dangerous spots are.

WeRide leads panel with global transport leader at eMobility LIVE

In October WeRide partnered with the Mobility LIVE Expo in Darling Harbour Sydney. Highlights included leading the panel discussion on the contribution Micromobility can make to the NetZero Transport system which included the head of Transport for London, Glynn Barton.

Above: Transport for London’s chief, Glynn Barton, also provided the Expo Key Note.

WeRide’s Peter Bourke also moderated the session on navigating lithium-ion battery safety for light mobility with Stephen Hodge leading the discussion that provided unique insights from Glynn Barton, the City of Sydney’s Fiona Campbell and Institute for Sensible Transport’s Dr Elliot Fishman.

Above: Peter Bourke in the Li-ion session.

We managed to record the Micromobility session (apologies for sound quality) and it is now live on our website check out our news post on the website or directly here.

WeRide submission to the National Sport Plan

As part of ensuring the voice of cycling is considered in government policies and initiatives, we often provide submissions as part of public consultations.

Our latest submission is to the National Sport Plan in which we have called for a focus to be maintained on the benefits of the incidental physical activity from riding for short daily trips.

That’s a wrap!

As always, there is a lot going on so if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to us or drop us a line.

It’s been another massive year for us all – thanks once again to our Members and Benefactors who make the work we do possible. You can see who they all are on our website under Partners.

We do what we do because Australia’s a greener, healthier, better place to be because more people are riding bikes.

Email us: yes@weride.org.au

WATCH THE RECORDING OF OUR DECEMBER VIDEO NEWS HERE

Photo credits:

  • Parliamentary event photos Andrew Taylor
  • Other images: eMobility LIVE – Terrapinn, the Amy Gillett Foundation, We Ride Australia.