Parliamentary Friends of Cycling

Transforming Welsh Transport

19 August 2024

In a significant event* in Parliament Welsh MP Lee Waters was hosted by the Parliamentary Friends of Cycling group to hear how he transformed Welsh transport as Minister for Transport and Deputy Minister for Climate Change.

Above: L-R, Peter Bourke, Sara Stace – Better Streets, Kirsty Kelly – AITPM, Lee Waters MS, Hon. Andrew Wallace MP, Dr Helen Haines MP, Kate Chaney MP, Senator David Pocock, Stephen Hodge.

Lee Waters, a sitting Member of the Welsh Parliament, made global headlines by pausing all new roads schemes while an independent review was carried out to test alignment with climate targets, leading to a change in the default speed limit in built-up areas to 20mph. Also:

• Established a Wales national transport strategy that puts modal-shift at its heart.
• Set a target of 45% of journeys to be made by public transport, walking and cycling by 2040.
• Froze all road building schemes and established an independent Roads Review panel to judge the pipeline of new schemes against legislated climate targets.
• Led reform of bus policy to create ‘One network, one timetable, one ticket’.
• Reset the remit for Transport for Wales as a multi-modal delivery body.

Above: a full house in Parliament House to hear from Lee Waters and Phil Jones.

Lee was joined by Director on the Board of Active Travel England, and experienced transport planner Phil Jones. Lee’s presentation was a fascinating insight into the way he used Wales’ legislated carbon targets to take an objective look at the way their transport system is funded, planned and delivered and created intense interest amongst the 40 guests and Parliamentarians.

Above: Phil Jones provides the UK context ahead of address from Lee Waters.

The event in Parliament House Canberra was attended by a large group of key stakeholders including representatives from Australian cycling organisations, the Heart Foundation, ClimateWorks, the Council of Capital City Lord Mayors, Australian Local Government Association, Engineers Australia, Trek Bicycles, Australian Institute of Architects and more.

Above: Lee Waters addresses Parliamentarians and guests in the event hosted by the Parliamentary Friends of Cycling group.

We Ride Australia organises the Parliamentary Friends of Cycling group which is Chaired by Zaneta Mascarenhas the Member for Swan WA, the Hon. Andrew Wallace the Member for Fisher QLD and Dr Helen Haines, the Member for Indi VIC.

Above: the address by Lee Jones was an opportunity to find out a lot more on the changes Lee implemented in Wales. Here Kate Chaney MP talks to Phil Jones while Lee Waters talks to Phil Latz and Alison McCormack behind.

Above: Lee was able to meet Senator David Pocock and talk about some of the rugby legends matches against Wales in Cardiff and other occasions.

The presentations by Lee Waters and Phil Jones were recorded.

The video of Lee Waters’ presentation is available here: https://vimeo.com/1000714570/9007e29066?share=copy

Phil Jones addressed the context and changes underway in the UK in active transport before introducing Key Note, Welsh MP Lee Waters. Watch his address here: https://vimeo.com/1001070768

Further videos will be available soon.

Above: Australian bicycle organisation senior leaders were in Canberra to hear Lee Waters speak. From L-R Peter Mclean, Melinda Tarrant, David Whitney, Sara Stace, Kirsty Kelly, Hon. Rachel Nolan, Lee Waters MS, Nick Hannan, Hon. Andrew Wallace, Cecily Michaels, Dr Helen Haines MP, Kate Chaney MP, Peter Bourke, Senator David Pocock, Alton Twine, Alison McCormack, Stephen Hodge., Alton Twine, Alison McCormack, Stephen Hodge.

* This event was made possible with the support of the Australian Institute of Transport Planning and Management, represented by CEO Kirsty Kelly and Better Streets, represented by the Chair Sara Stace.

Updated: 23 August 2024.

WeRide takes accessible bikes and trikes into Parliament

8 August 2023

In a first event of its kind WeRide has conducted a briefing for Parliamentarians and guests on the bikes that can give back mobility to those experiencing disability and a lack of choice in mobility.

In a breakfast event in Parliament, the Chairs of the Friends of Cycling group hosted their colleagues, guests and the Shadow Minister for the NDIS, the Hon. Michael Sukkar MP, for a presentation on the latest e-assist bikes and trikes that provide people of all ages and abilities options for independent mobility, physical activity or simply fun.

Watch a short video of the event – 3 min.

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.

Andrea Herklots from Everybody ebikes talked about the machines they provide to children and adults with a range of diverse needs and the transformational power of being able to cycle.

This includes children who can ride to school for the first time in their lives, adults who can use an e-assist bike or trike to get to work and local destinations for the first time or simply being able to take their partner who has a disability or dementia out riding again.

Above: Andrea Herklots, of EveryBody eBikes takes about the transformational nature of e-assist bikes and trikes that give mobility to young and old alike.

The emotional stories show how modern cycling technology, including e-bikes, provides choice, improves accessibility and provides affordable pathways to overcome exclusion from mainstream transport options.

Watch Andrea’s address at the event (8min video).

Justin Le Couteur, representing the National Inclusive Transport Advocacy Network, talked about the 4.4 million people with disability in Australia today, which is 18% of the population. Of all those who are of driving age, only about half actually drive and Justin emphasised the importance of equitable options for all those with a disability.

Above: Justin Le Couteur, representing the National Inclusive Transport Advocacy Network, gave the opening address talking about the transformational power of accessible mobility and the 4.4 million Australians who can benefit from access to some of the machines on display today.

With a humorous take on the technology available to him growing up with cerebral palsy, he compared his (low tech) training wheels and devil-may-care attitude to the enormous opportunities available today. He discussed the institutional and infrastructure barriers that are beginning to be addressed by policy and programs such as the NDIS.

Watch Justin’s address at the event (4 min video).

Above: Josh Wilson, the Member for Fremantle, was standing in for Chair Zaneta Mascarenhas who was unfortunately on a Parliamentary delegation in the Pacific, but ably led the event on her behalf.

Above: Alison Byrnes MP tries out the Orthros side-by-side with Richard Herklots, owner of EveryBody eBikes and Edward Burt of The Disability Trust.

Above: Helen Haines, the Member for Indi, has been a committed Co-Chair of the group since its inception.

Above: Shadow Minister for the NDISS, the Hon. Michael Sukkar, provided a thoughtful address to assembled MPs and guests on the importance of options for mobility.

Above: Co-Chair, the Hon. Andrew Wallace, has a particular and personal interest in mobility for all ages and abilities and has been a strong supporter of cycling in the House.

Above: the event provided some unique opportunities for MPs to try out the machines in the heart of Parliament House!! Andrew Wallace and Josh Wilson certainly look like they are having fun.

Above: our videographer John gets up close and personal with Richard Herklots to get the perfect shots as he rides around the Mural Hall in Parliament House!

L-R: Dr Helen Haines MP, Josh Wilson MP, Hon. Andrew Wallace MP & Shadow Minister for the NDIS, the Hon. Michael Sukkar MP.

More:

The Parliamentary Friends of Cycling group is an initiative of WeRide and is hosted by Zaneta Mascarenhas, the Member for Swan; the Hon Andrew Wallace, the Member for Fisher and Dr Helen Haines, the Member for Indi. More information here: www.weride.org.au/programs/parliamentary-friends-of-cycling

• Short event video (3 min)
• Justin Le Couteur address (4 min) 
• Andrea Herklots – EveryBody eBikes address (8 min)

Future events: WeRide will organise in Parliament include the announcement of the national Cycling Luminaries Awards and the launch of the 2023 WeRide Australian Cycling Economy Report by EY in November.

We Ride Australia is proud to support the Parliamentary Friends of Cycling and bring the interests of a very diverse cycling sector to the attention of our federal Parliament as part of achieving our vision that:

Australia is a greener, healthier, better place to be because more people are riding bikes.

Parliamentary Friends of Cycling – launch for the 47th Parliament

Watch video of the launch

23 November 2022Above: Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, Patrick Gorman, launched the Friends of Cycling for the 47th Parliament.

The Federal Parliamentary Friends of Cycling, with We Ride Australia, was launched on Wednesday, 23rd November, with an e-bike test and ride event on the lawns of Parliament House Canberra.

The Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, the Hon. Patrick Gorman, launched the group with the group’s Co-Chairs the Member for Swan, Zaneta Mascarenhas MP (Labor), the Member for Fisher the Hon. Andrew Wallace MP (Coalition) and the independent Member for Indi, Dr Helen Haines MP.

The event attracted MPs, Senators and key staff from all major parties along with several independents and showcased the latest e-bike and Micromobility technology available to Australians of all ages and abilities.

Supported with bikes from Trek, 99 Bikes and Lug and Carrie, political leaders tested a wide range of bikes including cargo, folding, commuter, gravel and mountain bikes.

Above: L-R, Hon Andrew Wallace MP, Zaneta Mascarenhas MP with daughter Felicity and Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, the Hon. Patrick Gorman MP.

The Parliamentary Friendship Group is an influential platform that allows WeRide and the bicycle sector to engage with Parliamentarians and bureaucratic decision makers. It promotes engagement and allows us to advocate on behalf of bicycle riders and the entire sector.

Conversations focused on the benefits of e-bikes for more efficient transport systems better physical and mental health, contribution to a low carbon future, improved community liveability and environment, increased transport equity and regional economic development.

Above: Dr Helen Haines, the Member for Indi, is a Co-Chair of the Friends of Cycling.

Parliamentarians attending were:

• Hon Pat Gorman, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister – video of speech
• Zaneta Mascarenhas, the Member for Swan & Co-Chair – video of speech and interview with Osher
• Hon. Andrew Wallace, the Member for Fisher & Co-Chair – video of speech and interview with Osher
• Dr. Helen Haines, the Member for Indi and Co-Chair – video of speech and interview with Osher
• Chris Steel, ACT Minister for Transport – video of speech and interview with Osher
• Dr David Gillespie, Member for Lyne
• Hon. Ged Kearney, Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care
• Dr Monique Ryan, the Member for Kooyong
• Kate Chaney, the Member for Curtin
• Allegra Spender, the Member for Wentworth
• Dr Daniel Mulino, the Member for Fraser
• Senator Janet Rice, Greens Senator for Victoria
• Stephen Campbell, the Office of Rebekha Sharkie MP
• Luke McClean, the Office of Zali Steggall, and
• Osher Gunsberg, TV personality and Board of WeRide.

WeRide also recorded interviews between Osher Gunsberg and bicycle brands that attended and supported the launch by supplying a range of e-bikes for the politicians to experience.

Mark from Trek bicycles

Above: the Hon. Andrew Wallace, Co-Chair and Member for Fisher, seems to have the attention of the peloton!

The Friends of Cycling group has a broad and diverse group of members. They are:

List of Parliamentarians who supported the establishment and are members of the Friends of Cycling for the 47th Parliament.

Facts and stats

• The sector has a direct industry output of $6.3 billion in Australia
• The industry supports 34,295 direct jobs
• An e-bike is a bicycle with an electric motor that assists the rider when pedalling
• Riding bikes is a legitimate and realistic transport option for the 50% of all trips that are 5km or less
• E-bikes support more people of all ages and abilities to ride, carry children & other loads, and is attracting people to ride a bike for their trips to local shops, school & work
• Riding bikes is one of the fastest and most efficient methods we already have to decarbonise transport and reduce our dependency on fossil fuels.
• E-bike batteries use about 30 cylindrical lithium-ion cells (3.3kg). A Tesla 3 uses 4,416 cells (long-range model – 530kg). One EV battery therefore corresponds to the number of batteries required for around 147 e-bikes!
• E-bikes are popular: 5X more e-bikes were sold than EVs in 2021-22, with sales growing over 800% to 75,000 in the 5 yrs to 2021-22.
• Australians are ready to ride: More than 10 million Australians chose to ride in 2021 with many getting on bikes during the pandemic.
• Accessibility: e-bikes & other light electric vehicles reduce barriers to mobility for older riders and those with a disability.
• A fact sheet on these stats and information was prepared for the event and can be downloaded here.

We Ride Australia is the national, independent voice for cycling and supports the Co-Chairs for the Parliamentary Friends of Cycling events.

Above: An Osher selfie with Dr Monique Ryan, Allegra Spender and Dr Helen Haines.

Parliamentary Friends of Cycling – 46th Parliament

We Ride Australia established a Parliamentary Friends of Cycling group in late 2020.

It was the culmination of more than a decade of federal advocacy by We Ride. The Friendship group marks a coming of age for bicycle riding in federal Parliamentary circles.

Stephen Hodge with Dave Sharma, the federal Member for Wentworth NSW

The opportunity to host and facilitate expert discussions on riding bicycles in Parliament House amongst federal Members and Senators from all parts of Australia is an important win for bicycle riding in this country.

The Friends of Cycling group provides a non-partisan federal forum for Parliamentarians to meet and interact with riding and active transport issues and benefits.

Stephen Hodge with Dr Helen Haines, the federal Member for Indi VIC

An initiative of We Ride Australia’s Stephen Hodge and Dave Sharma, the Member for Wentworth (Liberal), the group is Co-Chaired by Dave Sharma, the Hon. Dr Andrew Leigh, federal Member for Fenner (Labor) and Dr Helen Haines, the federal Member for Indi (independent).

Stephen Hodge with Hon. Dr Andrew Leigh, the federal Member for Fenner ACT

A further nineteen Parliamentarians signed up within hours to support the group’s establishment – see their names below.

At a time when bicycle riding is booming, as Australians re-discover the joys of two wheels for transport, staying active and healthy during the COVID pandemic, this group demonstrates our Parliamentarians are also clearly very interested in a greater engagement around the benefits of riding bicycles in this country.

The benefits of increased bicycle riding include better physical and mental health, improved community liveability, equitable and sustainable transport options and economic development opportunities in regional Australia through destination marketing and visitation built around bike facilities and trails.

We Ride Australia’s Stephen Hodge coordinates the group’s activities.

Above L-R: Dr Helen Haines MP, Hon. Kevin Andrews MP, Hon. Dr David Gillespie MP, Stephen Jones MP, Stephen Hodge, Susan Templeman MP, Dave Sharma MP, Hon. Dr Andrew Leigh MP, Julie Owens MP, Kristi McBain MP.

“I was delighted to get such a positive response to the idea from Dave Sharma when I approached him about championing bicycle riding in Parliament,” said Hodge.

“Andrew Leigh and Helen Haines also very quickly expressed their support and we were on our way,

“An email from Dr Leigh to the entire Parliament resulted in enough support from MPs and Senators within a couple of hours to set up the Friends and I think it showed we had really captured the moment for bike riding in Australia” Mr Hodge said.

Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government, the Hon. Mark Coulton MP with Stephen Hodge. Mr Coulton provided a Ministerial Key Note Address at the February Friends event on regional economic benefits of cycle tourism.

The Parliamentary Friends of Cycling is led by three Co-Chairs with support from across the political spectrum.

Participants in the Parliamentary Sports Festival cycling event, ‘Recognise’, on Red Hill, 2 December 2020. We Ride Australia organised the event with the strong support of the Parliamentary cycling group, Riders on the Hill. This group has been run by We Ride’s Stephen Hodge for the last 15 years.

“We’ve seen a massive increase in cycling during COVID-19, for both transport and recreation. As an enthusiastic rider myself, I’m keen for the Parliament to get behind this trend and do more to encourage people to lead active lifestyles,” Dave Sharma, the Member for Wentworth said.

Dave Sharma MP, Co-Chair Parliamentary Friends of Cycling

“From Mulga Bill to Anna Meares, cycling is intertwined with the Australian story. And no part of Australia loves cycling more than my home city of Canberra. From the 6am bunch ride to mountain biking with my kids, cycling is one of life’s true pleasures, and I’m keen to encourage its uptake nationwide” said Dr Andrew Leigh, the Member for Fenner.

Hon. Dr Andrew Leigh MP, Co-Chair Parliamentary Friends of Cycling

“Like lots of people, I have strong memories of learning to ride a bike. The thrill of finding my balance has lasted a lifetime. The Parliamentary Friends of Cycling is all about the love of cycling and the real benefits it can bring to people and to our environment when we leave the car in the shed and jump on the bike instead,” said the Member for Indi, Dr Helen Haines.

Dr Helen Haines MP, Co-Chair Parliamentary Friends of Cycling

“In regional areas like the one I represent, the economic benefits through cycle tourism are really important and will continue to contribute to our communities as we emerge and recover from the COVID lockdown,” said Dr Haines.

Gladys Liu MP with WeRide’s Stephen Hodge and Ben from Pushys test e-cargo bikes.

The first event for the Parliamentary Friends of Cycling was a showcase of the latest e-mobility trends. The latest electric-assist bicycles, family e-bikes and a range of utilitarian and freight bikes were showcased and available for test rides by Parliamentarians in the House event.

MPs attending the e-bike showcase event of the Parliamentary Friends of Cycling. From L-R Julie Owens MP, Dave Sharma MP, Senator David Van, Hon. Dr Andrew Leigh MP, Dr Helen Haines MP, Stephen Hodge, Hon. Mark Dreyfus QC MP.

The Co-Chairs work with Stephen to determine topics of interest to MPs and develop the program of events. All MPs and Senators in Parliament are invited to attend Friendship Group events and hear from subject experts and network with colleagues and invited guests. Parliamentary Friends of Cycling was launched in front of Parliament on Thursday, 8^th October 2020.

Stephen Hodge, Hon. Dr Andrew Leigh MP, Dr Helen Haines MP, Dave Sharma MP launching the Friends of Cycling on 8 October 2020.

The second Parliamentary event was focused on the regional economic benefits of cycle tourism and Key Noted by Minister Mark Coulton and Shadow Attorney General Hon Mark Dreyfus QC. A well attended event saw MPs and Senators with an interest in regional rail trails and destination marketing and MTB parks join to hear the latest data from Rail Trails Australia and Tourism North East (VIC).

The Member for Whitlam, Stephen Jones MP, with We Ride’s Stephen Hodge. Stephen Jones is particularly interested in the regional economic impacts that will result from the UCI Road World Cycling Championships, which are being held in his hometown of Wollongong NSW in 2022.

Bert van Manen MP & Stephen Hodge

2021 events:

• 16 February – Two Wheeled Tourism – transforming Australia’s regions – fact sheet
• June – an event focusing on the national economic benefits of the boom in cycling during COVID
• August – event theme to be determined
• October – Ride to Work Day event – theme to be determined

2020 event: 3 December – e-bike showcase – fact sheet

The MPs and Senators who supported the establishment of Parliamentary Friends of Cycling are –

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