NSW election countdown: The cycling industry and community is pedalling its message in the lead up to Election Day.

 

Cities around Australia and the world are boosting investment into making their communities more cycle friendly to tackle climate change, community safety, obesity and high petrol prices. Unfortunately NSW has been back-pedalling and neglecting cycling.

 

In a final push for election day the Vote4Cycling.com.au election advocacy campaign has taken out half page colour advertisements in the major metropolitan press asking candidates to support cycling investment.

 

“Most other states around Australia have woken up to the environmental, health and economic advantages of increased cycling in the community. In Victoria and Queensland some schools have been boosting the number of kids cycling to school to 40%, whereas in NSW many schools are banning cycling, depriving kids of vital daily physical activity and creating congestion around schools.

 

In other States, they are building bike sheds in schools again while NSW continues to under-invest,” argued Noel McFarlane spokesperson for Vote4Cycling.com.au.

 

“The NSW public deserves more support for cycling given it provides practical solutions to many current challenges,” Noel added. “The NSW public deserves more support for cycling given it provides practical solutions to many current challenges,” Noel added.

 

The push by Vote4Cycling.com.au for more positive policies for cycling in NSW has been endorsed by leading health and transport advocates including Dr Chris Rissel Associate Professor, School of Public Health, University of Sydney who said; “Initiatives that encourage cycling should be supported, as increasing the proportion of cycling trips will lead to population health improvements, and help with reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

 

"About half of the NSW population is not sufficiently active to maintain good health, and the personal implications, and financial consequences for the health system, are staggering. With the lowest levels of regular cycling in Australia, NSW has the most potential for increase. Even cycling to work or the shops on one day a week makes a big difference,” Dr Rissel added.

 

The Vote4cycling campaign is backed by a unique campaign website, email campaign, postcards, newspaper adverts and 1000’s of energetic grass roots supporters enabling the campaign to successfully compete with the millions of dollars thrown around by the major political parties and lobby groups in the election.

 

“Hundreds of people have used our web site to write to the candidates expressing their strong support for more cycling investment. As well 10,000 postcards addressed to Peter Debnam and Morris Iemma has been distributed by eager supporters.”

 

Vote4Cycling.com.au has released their report card assessing the cycling policies of the major candidates for the coming State election on their web site. The results are thumbs up for all respondents except Labor who are standing by their record in government. “We were very disappointed that Labor did not respond to the survey questions.

 

"After 12 years in office the ALP apparently rests upon their record. A record that has angered a growing number of bicycle riders and the bicycle industry which contributes a billion dollars to the Australian economy at the retail level,” said Noel.

 

“The cycling community is not satisfied that the Labor government has delivered on its commitments in the past and NSW is behind most states in almost every aspect relating to cycling. Unfortunately Labor appears to have no concrete measures planned to address this. This is a big thumbs down for Labor,” Noel added.

 

The results of the candidate’s survey posted on the web site allow the cycling community and those who care about the environment and the health and wellbeing of the community to be the best judge on which candidates are serious about supporting cycling, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, cutting traffic congestion and improving the health of our community.

 

Link to Vote 4 Cycling advertisements

 

 

Noel McFarlane, Director Bicycle Industries Australia Ltd., Mobile: 0413 594 903

 

Rosemarie Speidel, Program Director, Cycling Promotion Fund: 0407 537 760

 

Authorised by R. Speidel, Cycling Promotion Fund, 505/80 William Street, East Sydney. NSW 2010 Distributed by MATRIX Corporate