The politics of Bicycle NSW.

The peak body for cyclists in New South Wales is bicycle NSW, it used to be The Bicycle Institute of NSW but over time like most other state based cycling organisations it adopted the brand Bicycle NSW in 1994.

In it’s role as a “member-funded and -owned, not-for-profit peak community organisation” it is supposed to provide the advocacy for cyclists that NRMA provides for motorists. This year there has been more than enough evidence that the organisation is departing from that aim. In the first instance is Bicycle NSW’s response to the Pat Farmer’s press release claiming cyclists “should pay registration fees to help legitimise their place on the roads and pay for infrastructure and safety campaigns”.

The press release seen below is best described as short on detail (despite the tons of evidence provided by the Cycling Promotion Fund and other groups). Bicycle NSW said “A form of bike registration or levy may help legitimise cycling, however Bicycle NSW does not at this time have a policy position in this area. We have a clear purpose, which is focused on getting more people riding bikes more often, because life is better on a bike”.

Instead of pointing out the screaming obvious that Pat Farmer who is a member of a party which had lost government by a thumping big landslide and had only just held on to the seat of Macarthur by 1000 votes. Instead of getting down to the task of representing the people who had just elected him, Pat Farmer had “moved more than 60 kilometres away from his western Sydney seat to live in one of the city’s most expensive suburbs.” The Mosman Farmer needed something to take this issue off the front pages of the newspapers and so decided to use cyclists to take the heat. Bicycle NSW decided to issue a poorly worded press release. I even heard that when the television media asked a spokesperson for Bicycle NSW for a response to The Mosman Farmer’s comments the spokesperson repeatedly said “life’s better on a bike” and the walked off.

The other issue is the relationship between Bicycle Users Groups and Bicycle NSW and the need for joint efforts in advocacy. I received an email from someone who commented on a post on this Blog and has provided an insight into what is happening with Bicycle NSW and BUGS council. My informant met with a member of the Bicycle NSW board and was told ”

“BNSW will not put any resources (by which I mean funds or paid staff) into supporting BUGs – Andrew Dodds, who runs the BUGs Council does so as a volunteer and if I wish to support Andrew, I would be welcome, but also as a volunteer.

1. Any improvements that BUG members would like to see must be implemented by the BUGs themselves through Andrew Dodds or amongst the volunteer BUG members themselves.
2. BNSW wishes to restrict its dealings to implementing the 2007-2010 Strategic Plan, as presented at the 2007 AGM.
3. BNSW sees itself as operating at the Federal and State levels and will not put any resources into local or regional projects.
4. The only events that BNSW are interested in allocating resources to are the Spring Cycle, Gear-up Girl and as co-hosts of the Ride to work and Ride to School programs with Bike Victoria.
5. The stated policy of BNSW is to get “more people cycling more often”, which does not mean they will place resources into building the membership numbers of BNSW as people can ride bikes without being members.
6. BNSW employ a “Volunteer and Operations Coordinator” (currently Michelle Herbert), who is the contact person for allVolunteers who wish to communicate with BNSW.
7. BNSW have no intention of running a NSW Big Ride in the future, but both Alex and Jenny said if I was interested in doing so, then that would be great. However, BNSW will not provide any resources (as above – funds or paid staff). All Big Ride equipment has been sold.“

Bicycle Users Groups are local cycling organisations, they put a lot of effort into advocacy at a local level and know their local area better than anyone from Bicycle NSW. Roads in NSW are the responsibility of either the local council or the Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW (RTA), the RTA is responsible for major roads (highways, arterial and subarterial roads).  Given the different levels of responsibility for roads, bicycle advocacy would be better delivered by a common approach from Bicycle NSW and BUGS (BUGS are more effective with local government than with the RTA). By abandoning BUGS, Bicycle NSW is abandoning local advocacy.

Recently Bicycle NSW has begun to cherry pick it’s campaigns. It campaigned on the Harbour Link proposal that would see a shareed path way that would cut out some of the hills near the harbour bridge and link the harbour bridge cycleway to North Sydney. They have now published a statement from the North Sydney council regarding the harbour link project on their website (http://www.bicyclensw.org.au/E-news.asp#128)  This while at the same time a major commuter route is under threat from the V8 supercar race at Homebush bay. The total silence on the Homebush Bay issue is worrying.

Yesterday my heart was broken when I heard a long time volunteer with Bicycle NSW, who is a member of DHBC expressing his disgust at what the organisation was doing for the Sydney Spring Cycle. Spring cycle has 2 new starting points this year. It includes Blacktown and Liverpool. The Liverpool riders have been charged the same rate for riding on bicycle paths (the Liverpool to Parramatta Rail Trail and the M4 path to SOP), that the riders from North Sydney who will ride over the Harbour Bridge and along partially closed roads. I have no doubt that the riders from Blacktown will be riding along similar bike paths (they may even have the chance to find the alternative path along the Prospect Creek Cycle path which was partially destroyed by road expansion by Boral!). The rip off is added to by the fact that Bicycle NSW was ignoring the work of most of the BUGs in Liverpool.

I find that there are many people disillusioned with Bicycle NSW. The disillusionment is now fueling an alternative movement. Some are joining interstate bicycle organisations, such as Bicycle QLD and Pedal Power (the ACT organisation). There are also moves to get insurance through BUGs and organise an alternative advocacy organisation for NSW.

Personally I do not want to destroy Bicycle NSW. It was and is the peak advocacy body for recreational and commuting cyclists in NSW. It has done some good work in advocacy and it has had some success, but the direction it’s board is taking it is alienating a lot of it’s membership including myself. Issues like the silence on Sydney Olympic Park are linked by many to pandering to the NSW government. The failure to criticise the government is based on the dependency on government money for financial viability. This means that advocacy is compromised seriously.