|
This year’s Australian Bicycling Achievement Awards will be presented in Canberra today at an event to be opened by Heart Foundation CEO (ACT) Tony Stubbs and with the key note address from Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Maxine McKew.
“2009 has been a landmark year for cycling, with this year’s commitments to fund bicycle infrastructure blowing away all previous investments by all three levels of government,” said Stephen Hodge, spokesperson for the Cycling Promotion Fund.
Queensland Minister for Transport, Rachel Nolan, is leading the way nationally with $100 million invested in cycling infrastructure and programs in the last year and will receive the Award for Contribution towards Cycling by a Politician.
Making cycling on of her department’s top 5 priorities, projects included the $68m Kurilpa cycle and pedestrian bridge in Brisbane’s CBD, the world’s largest Travelsmart behaviour change project to 324,000 households and the largest ever cycling centre built in Australia, the $9m
Royal Brisbane Hospital Cycle Centre that will hold in excess of 750 bikes.
The second major winner from Queensland is the Sunshine Coast Regional Council who will receive the Local Government Award for Special Initiative to Encourage and Promote Cycling. The Council has demonstrated a strong commitment in all areas to integrate cycling and make the Sunshine Coast a leader in active and healthy community development. In 2009:
- over 1,100 year 4 students received cycle skills training,
- targeted programs reached women, families and seniors,
- Council invested $6 million in bicycle paths and on-road facilities and committed $20 million for the next five years.
It is clear that the economic, health and social benefits of encouraging more Australians to choose a bike for short trips and recreation are now driving this record investment by state and local government in Queensland” Hodge noted.
According to the Award’s Principal partners the Heart Foundation, physical activity, including walking and cycling, plays an important role in reducing the risk of cardiovascular and other chronic diseases.
“Physical inactivity is a major health problem in its own right. Disturbingly, about half of Australian adults (54%) are not sufficiently physically active to gain health benefits. Physical inactivity costs the health budget an estimated $1.5bn a year and causes 16,000 premature
deaths a year, “said Susan Anderson, National Director – Healthy Weight, Heart Foundation.
“It is particularly concerning for the future health of Australia when you consider that the last decade has seen a rapid decline in the number of children walking or cycling to school and few adults choosing walking or cycling as a mode of transport,” she said
The Bicycling Achievement Awards have been held by the Cycling Promotion Fund annually since 2002 and recognise innovation, commitment and achievement in making Australia more bicycle friendly. The Awards will be held at Old Parliament House where finalists will join Federal MP’s and Senators from around Australia and official partner, the Heart Foundation, to celebrate outstanding achievement in cycling encouragement and promotion.
“The innovation and success recognised in these national awards show us all that the future of cycling in Australia, whether as a recreational activity or mode of transport, is going to be more active, environmentally sustainable and healthier”, said Hodge.
Award Presentation details
- 7:15am – 9:00am, Wednesday 16 June, Old Parliament House, King George Terrace, Canberra
- Images of the Awards available upon request
- Media contacts: Cycling Promotion Fund, Stephen Hodge 0411 149 910
- Heart Foundation Kirsten Andrews, 0413 777 404
Winners of the Eighth Annual Bicycling Achievement Awards are:
- Cycling Promotion Award of the Year (Professional) – Warren Salomon, Bicycle Federation of Australia (BFA) Representative, Australian Bicycle Council.
- Cycling Promotion Award of the Year (Honorary) – Joint winners: Damian Maclennan, Sydney Cyclist and Paul and Di Truebridge, volunteers - Pedal Power ACT.
- Contribution to Cycling by a Politician – Hon Rachel Nolan MP Minister, Queensland Department of Transport (Honourable Mentions – The Hon. Anthony Albanese, NSW and Senator Christine Milne, TAS).
- Award for an educational institution for innovation in encouraging cycling to school - Bowden Brompton Community School, South Australia.
- Local Government Award for Special Initiative to encourage and promote cycling - Sunshine Coast Council, Queensland (Honourable Mention - Blue Mountains City, New South Wales).
- Award for Contribution Towards Cycling by a Bicycle Retailer – bikerepairs.com.au, New South Wales
- Special Achievement Award by a Bicycle Organisation – BIKESydney, New South Wales (Honourable Mention – Brunswick Cycling Club, Victoria).
- Award for Bicycle Friendly Business – The Munda Biddi Trail Foundation, Western Australia.
About The Cycling Promotion Fund:
The Cycling Promotion Fund is an initiative of Bicycle industries Australia to enable the bicycle industry to work collectively to promote and encourage cycling and to work with stakeholders and governments nationally to create a more bicycle friendly Australia.
See www.cyclingawards.com.au and www.cyclingpromotion.com.au for more information.
About the Heart Foundation:
The Heart Foundation advocates a whole of community approach to make it easier for Australians to live more active lives and fight heart disease. For more than 5 years the Heart Foundation has been successfully influencing governments and urban planners to make the built environment and neighbourhood design more supportive of active living opportunities for members of their local communities. It recently identified 10 key action areas and solutions outlined in The Heart Foundation’s ‘Blueprint for an active Australia’.
For your copy visit www.heartfoundation.org.au |
CPF News 