Federal election campaigning has well and truly started, and you know what that means?
It’s time to lobby for bikes!
While we will send our wish list to political parties and independent candidates, having our members and supporters raise their voices really makes the pollies sit up and listen.
So, we need you to call, email, message and attend in-person events so candidates are under no illusion that bikes matter to Tasmanians.
The most powerful representation is when you speak from experience, so you should talk about what would make life better for you as a regular bicycle rider or how you and your family could ride more for transport if there was safer infrastructure/help to buy a cargo bike/secure parking etc etc!
Different parties and candidates are motivated by different values but in general:
- People who care about individual responsibility appreciate that bike riders are keeping themselves healthy and saving money by riding.
- People who want to protect the environment can see bike riding reduces air pollution and carbon dioxide emissions.
- People who want greater social equality understand that making riding easier for transport helps more people access education and work.
- People who worry about big government spending know that infrastructure for riding costs less to build and maintain than that for cars, moves more people and reaps rewards for health and productivity.
And of course, some candidates will care about all of the above – they are our favourites.
If you want to help amplify our calls, please talk about one or more of our Top 5 asks or our electorate-specific projects.
The Top 5
We are asking all political parties and candidates nationally to back our Top 5 asks:
- increase federal funding for paths and cycleways
- bike paths on all new federal road projects
- fund bike education programs like Ride2School and Ride2Work
- provide tax breaks to help people buy bikes for transport
- implement safer vehicle standards that help improve safety for people riding.
More detail is in our election policy paper: https://s23705.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/BN_Federal_Election_policy_paper.pdf
Tasmanian asks
If Tasmanian parties and candidates backed our Top 5 asks then we’d be in a pretty good position.
But we all know how much parties like to back particular projects in electorates, especially marginal ones like Bass and Braddon, so we thought we’d help out by nominating a project for funding in each electorate.
Some were difficult to choose from so we’ve included two!
BASS
Filling in the missing link to complete the Rocherlea to Inveresk path.
Build a Launceston to Legana path.
BRADDON
Funding for the remaining sections of the Coastal Pathway from Burnie to Heybridge and West Ulverstone to Penguin.
CLARK
Commit to funding a greater Hobart Active Transport Network – Collins St would be a good first route.
FRANKLIN
Fund a greater Hobart Active Transport Network which would include a Kingston to Huntingfield cycleway.
LYONS
Commitment to a Derwent Valley Rail Trail with funding for a full feasibility study.
Candidate Contacts
We’ve put together a list of all the known Tasmanian candidate contact details. Keep an eye on our webpage for updates
Candidate list