2005 Bicycling Achievement Awards

A booklet has been published with all winners and nominations to encourage and promote innovation and achievement. To dowload the booklet click here. To get hard copies of the booklet click here.

The 2005 Winners are:

Cycling Promotion Award of the Year: Professional and Honorary
Category Sponsored by the Bicycle Federation of Australia

Overall Winner Cycling Promotion Award of the Year: Sergeant Adam Bernhardt, Chief Instructor NSW Bicycle Patrol
Adam has been instrumental in the development and training of instructors and students in the NSW bicycle patrol unit and had the vision, commitment and determination to see the establishment of a dedicated police bicycle patrol training facility, the only one in Australia.

Adam has been successful in lifting the profile of of the bicycle patrol unit within the NSW police force, breaking down some of the barriers between police and bicycle riders. NSW has now 600 specifically designed and customised Mountain Bikes and is regarded as one of the world's best Police Bicycle Patrol Program.

Winner Bicycling Achievement Award of the Year: Professional Category Associate Professor, Dr. Chris Rissel, Director Health Promotion Unit, Sydney South West Area Health Service

Pictured: BFA President Jeff Ibbotson with Dr. Chris Rissel (right)

Chris plays an instrumental role within the health sector, raising awareness awareness of the many health benefits increased cycling can provide for individuals, communities and governments. He has undertaken extensive research and development relating to cycling to provide valuable evidence, and has had many articles published.

Under his leadership the Sydney South West Area Health Service has developed travel access maps, promoting and encouraging staff and visitors to ride and has run cycling proficiency classes to increase skills and confidence. He is a passionate cycling advocate at the professional, community and personal level.

Winner Bicycling Achievement Award of the Year - Honorary Category Dr. Rod Katz, President Bicycle Federation of Australia

Pictured: Rod is the happy man on the right.

Rod has made a considerable contribution to cycling in his role as president of the Bicycle Federation of Australia (BFA). He is committed, persistent, diplomatic, informed and considered. Under his leadership, the BFA has run two successful national conferences, has managed a number of Government funded projects and has been building stronger linkages with other cycling stakeholders through the Cycling Promotion Alliance. Rod has retired as the President of the BFA but will maintain his involvement in cycling as a trustee of the Amy Gillett Safe Cycling Foundation.

 
Special Achievement Award for A Bicycle Organisation Sponsored by the Cycling Promotion Fund
Joint Winner: Bicycle South Australia
Bicycle South Australia is the first organisation to be a multiple winner of a Bicycling Achievement Award. This highlights their commitment, innovation and vision. Despite some challenges, including loosing the bike education program and seeing government cuts to cycling funding, the team of 10 staff and 230 volunteers has developed and run some of Australia's most innovative cycling programs and events. Some of their programs target at risk young people, using cycling to build confidence, capacity and commitment. 

Team Bicycle SA uses endurance Mountain Biking to engage at risk young people and has been recognised by the SA Government as an excellent tool to encourage school retention. Bicycle SA has been successful in gaining funding to run another three similar programs over the next two years.

Bicycle SA has also been the driver of cycle tourism in South Australia working with and building capacity in regional areas to boost cycle tourism. SA provides some of best cycle tourism experiences in Australia and will be hosting the Inaugural Australasia Cycle Tourism Conference in January 2006.

Joint Winner: Berwick Human Powered Vehicle and Cycling Club

Pictured: Terence Trevena and Clare DeKok, Berwick HPV and Cycling Club

This is the first time a cycling club has won a Bicycling Achievement Award for promoting and encouraging cycling. Berwick HPV and Cycling Club is run by a group of motivated and dedicated parents, teachers and past students, running some amazing programs and initiatives such as: cycling festivals, train the trainers courses for parents, community introductory rides, working with a neighbourhood renewal program.

The club operates in an economically challenged community and works with the local school where more than 200 kids regularly participate in cycling activities. Promoting and encouraging cycling in the region is not an easy task, Berwick is a rapidly growing outer suburb in Melbourne, with no cycling culture at all. Well done to parents, teachers and students, with commitment, vision and determination barriers can become opportunities.
 

Local Government Award for Initiatives to Encourage and Promote Cycling
Sponsored by the Australian Greenhouse Office
Winner: Rural City of Wangaratta

Pictured: Acting Mayor Cr. Tanya Tatulaschwili and Gold Medallist Brad McGee.

Wangaratta is a Rural City in Victoria (population 25,000 people) with a commitment and a vision to become the cycling capital of Australia. Wangaratta has been one of the first councils to develop a cycling strategy 14 years ago and today has a bicycle paths network of 99km, valued at $4.5million dollars. The 2005/06 budget for cycling is $759,000 which is larger than in many urban areas with bigger population and rate base.

The council is also committed to encouraging kids to ride to school and has been able to attract State Government funding to create linkages to local schools. Australia's premier rail trail "Murray to the Mountain" is located in the region and councils investment and support has resulted in considerable economic boost to the region, attracting thousands of visitors. To build on the success the council's economic development unit has established a group called Cycling Unlimited to promote cycling events and attract more visitors to region.

Award for Educational Institution for encouraging and promotion cycling to school
Sponsored by Bicycle Industries Australia

Winner: Chancellor State College QLD

Pictured: Gerard Quinn, Deputy Principal, Richard Aspinall and Gold Medallist Brad McGee.

Chancellor State College is one of a few innovative schools in Australia who are committed to reversing the alarming trend of declining number of kids walking and cycling to school. The college has been working with Queensland Transport to become a Travel Smart School. Parents have been surveyed and site assessment has been conducted to identify barriers and opportunities to encourage kids to cycle and walk to school.

A TravelSmart family challenge was held over 2 weeks, encouraging all kids to walk, cycle or car pool to get to and from school. 30% of kids used alternative forms of transport for five or more days during the challenge. Today 14% of kids ride to school regularly and the the large bike rack areas are usually full. The school also has been able to gain funding to purchase 70 bicycles of varying sizes for use between the campuses making it easier for students to get around and promote cycling as convenient and fun way to travel.

As part of the health and physical education curriculum at primary school, kids learn safe cycling skills and they are given a bicycle licence when they reach a certain level of competence. Well done to staff, parents and kids at Chancellor College. Hopefully their experience will inspire other schools to follow their lead and improve the health and well being of children by encouraging active travel to school, fostering healthy lifestyles and independence as well a reducing congestion around schools.

Award for Bicycle Friendly Business
Sponsored by Sydney Olympic Park Authority
Winner: Woodford Folk Festival

Pictured: Des Ritchie, Queensland Folk Club, giving an inspirational acceptance speech.

Events such as festivals are huge trip generators by attracting thousands of visitors, mostly by car. The Woodford Folk Festival is held over 6 days and 6 nights with more than 2,000 performers and 400 events. The organising committee decided to minimise the environmental impact of the festival by encouraging visitors to use public transport, car pool or cycle.

To encourage visitors to cycle to the festival they provided a range of services including: Designated camping area for riders Undercover bicycle parking A communal marquee A luggage transport option Route information and signage Riding partners service Congratulations to the team at Woodford Festival for tackling a more challenging issue for event coordinators and for demonstrating that with vision, commitment and creativity it can be done.

Award for contribution towards cycling by a politician
Sponsored by Australian Cyclist
Winner: Councillor Vivien Griffin, Noosa Shire

Pictured: Cr Vivien Griffin on her bike.

Local Councillors can play a vital role in promoting and encouraging cycling at the local level. Cr. Vivien Griffin is one of the those politicians which has a keen interest and commitment to champion cycling at the local level to enable the area to become a more liveable community where it is easy for people to get around by cyclingand walking. Vivien has been championing cycling in Noosa for many years and has provided key support for the implementation of initiatives and activities not only at the local level but also at the State level.

Noosa has some excellent cycling facilities which are expanding but Vivien has recognised that infrastructure by itself is not enough to get more people cycling and walking. She has overseen the appointment of the first travel demand officer for the Council who is working with schools, workplaces and community organisations to promote and encourage cycling as a healthy, convenient way to get around.