Victorian state elections on 24 November

 

State elections are being held in Victoria on Saturday 24 November. The Labor Government of Daniel Andrews is seeking re-election and has committed to new infrastructure and trails across Melbourne and a major upgrade to the St Kilda Road corridor, although not due for completion until 2025.

The Liberal alternative Government has indicated support for minimum passing distance legislation but their ‘Get Moving Victoria’ policy does not mention any other form of transport apart from motor vehicles.

The Greens have an extensive platform that includes bicycle and public transport and significant additional spending to make the choice to ride a bicycle easier and more convenient. See the detailed analysis of our friends at Bicycle Network and the Amy Gillett Foundation.

Australian Walking & Cycling Conference, Bendigo 29 & 20 Oct

With international speakers from Canada, New Zealand and India, and over 120 attendees, the 2018 Bendigo Australian Walking and Cycling Conference in Bendigo was a great success – well done! Some great pics and comments on their Facebook page, here.

The conference also partnered with the Australian Cycle Tourism conference, Bike Palooza Bendigo, the International Bicycle film festival and the Bendigo cycle classic to provide a five day celebration of cycling.

International Dialogue on the Cities of the Future

We Ride’s Director National Advocacy Stephen Hodge attended the Cities of the Future event organised by the Planning Institute of Australia in Parliament on 1 November. It was organised in collaboration with the Ambassadors of the Nordic countries, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Estonia.

Presentations from Nordic experts covered planning for growth, sustainability and smart tech. More information here: www.planning.org.au/events/event/nordic-01

Above: L-R, Michael Stott – UrbanEthos; Greg Vann – UrbanEthos; Anders Roberg-Larsen, City of Oslo; Danny – Urban Ethos; Stephen Hodge – We Ride Australia.

 

You Can Now Make Monthly Donations to We Ride Australia!

Tuesday 27th November is Giving Tuesday, #GivingTuesday. This is a global movement started in New York in 2012 by to create an international day of giving at the beginning of the Christmas season. Giving Tuesday was started in 2012 by the 92nd St Y in Manhattan and the United Nations Foundation.

The concept has quickly spread globally with hundreds of millions of dollars having been raised for many different charities.

If you’d like to help make riding a bike a positive, healthy and safe reality for people of all ages throughout Australia, then please consider donating on Giving Tuesday. We have a page already set up on our website here, where you can make one-off or monthly donations from as little as $10 or any amount of your choosing.

Thank-you for your vital support!

Advocacy Update

  • Up to 10 million Australians are at much greater risk of poor health. Failure to tackle the health of Australians affected by disadvantage will result in rising costs and burden on health services. We Ride Australia is working to make everyday cycling a part of the lives of more Australians. See Australia’s Health Tracker here:  www.vu.edu.au/sites/default/files/australias-health-tracker-by-socioeconomic-status.pdf #TrackerbySES #AusHealthTracker #NCDs

What’s On!

  • Victorian state election, 24 November.
  • SAVE THE DATE! On Thursday 17th January join us at the Tour DownUnder for a relaxed industry get together and drinks function in Adelaide – stay tuned for venue details in future e-news updates.
  • SAVE THE DATES! The Australian Bicycle Summit will be held in Melbourne for the first time on 14th and 15th May. Kicking off with an informal, fun get together in the CBD, a full day’s expert conference with specialist break-out sessions and then culminating in a gala Cycling Luminaries Awards Dinner, this is an event not to be missed. We will provide updates on program, venue, speakers and registrations in this e-news and on our website as they are confirmed.
  • SAVE THE DATE! Join us in Canberra on the 10th July for the biggest ever Pushys Gala Fundraising dinner event. It will be a big night for bike buffs and cycling friends. Hosted and organised by Pushys at their mega store in Fyshwick, the Pushys fundraisers are already a major fixture on the national cycling scene. Stay tuned for online auction and ticketing details.
  • Parliamentary Friendship Group for Better Cities – the next event on 28 November features Greater Sydney Environment Commissioner Rod Simpson addressing Parliamentarians on how consideration of landscape is both a necessity and an aspiration for the remaking, improvement and planning of cities.

 

Thanks to Our Supporters!

Thanks to all our Foundation Benefactors and Members. Without your valuable contributions We Ride Australia would not be able to make a difference. Everything we do is focused on making riding a bike a positive, healthy and safe reality for people of all ages throughout Australia.

We are always pleased to welcome new members. If you’re not yet a member or would like to recommend a new member, please contact our Development Director, Phil Latz at phil(at)weride.org.au.

Read more here: www.weride.org.au/who-we-are/partners