Ride2Work Day

The Hon. M.C. PARNELL (17:28): Two weeks ago today was Ride2Work Day, a day on which people are encouraged to ride their bicycles to work. In addition this year, it was Ride2Uni Day as well. As it implies, people are encouraged to ride to their studies. As the convener of the Parliament House Bicycle Users' Group, I was delighted that a number of MPs joined in with the Ride2Work Day. I particularly acknowledge the Hon. Kyam Maher, who rode in and met up with other cyclists and other MPs in Hindmarsh Square. Another MP who rode in was Mr Dan van Holst Pellekaan, so we did have Liberal, Labor and Green there. I just need to correct the record: some people suggested he may have ridden to work from Port Augusta—not true.

An honourable member: He's a fit man.

The Hon. M.C. PARNELL: He is a very fit man. He did not ride that whole way but he certainly is a keen cyclist and I was delighted that he could join us, as well. There were a number of members of parliament who sent apologies. They are people who do ride their bikes regularly but had other engagements. I particularly acknowledge Andrew McLachlan—it is good to have a fellow cyclist in the Legislative Council—and minister Leon Bignell, who would have ridden but he had other commitments that morning.

As part of the celebration of Ride2Work Day I was pleased to convene a forum in the old chamber here at Parliament House of 40 cycling advocates, many of whom had not actually met each other before but all of whom share a passion for cycling and all of whom are involved in cycle advocacy.

Of the 40 people who came, a number of them represented some of the better-known cycling organisations such as the Bicycle Institute of South Australia, Bicycle SA, Cycling SA (which is the body for sports cyclists), and we also had a representative from the RAA, from the Amy Gillett Foundation (the cycle safety organisation), and also owners of bicycle shops, who clearly are stakeholders in cycling, as well.

We had representatives from the Adelaide Bike Kitchen, Bikes for Refugees (a very important charity that fixes up old bicycles and provides them to new arrivals so that they have a mode of transport), and a large number of representatives of bicycle user groups, local councillors and, given the time of the electoral cycle that we are in, local council candidates, all keen to talk about cycling. I also invited my cycling colleague, Senator Penny Wright, who was able to attend. As members would know, she campaigned for the Senate in 2010 from a wheelchair, having been knocked off a bicycle in a very unfortunate accident.

Getting 40 people into one room to talk about cycling is something that can be fraught with danger, because everyone has their own particular ideas, but what was very exciting about this particular day was that we did not waste time with boring old arguments about on-road versus off-road or helmets versus no helmets; the real focus of the roundtable meeting was to determine: how do we make Adelaide one of the great cycling cities?

What I was most pleased to see come out of the meeting was a consensus that Adelaide could and should be a great cycling city and that if the various cycling groups and cycling advocates joined forces we have more chance of being successful in advocating for changes to the physical environment, the financial environment and the social environment, as well. The meeting accepted that, whilst governments have an essential contribution to make, especially in terms of resources, we cannot wait for government and we cannot rely on government to lead the debate.

So I was excited that the 40 people, a fairly randomly selected group but, as I say, representing all the major groups, were very keen to work together. I am excited about the future of cycle advocacy in South Australia. We know the government is very slow in producing the next version of the bicycle strategy for SA, and I am hoping that there will be a role for civil society, for recognised groups and for passionate individuals to help make South Australia a great cycling state.