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It's election time and Bicycle Network are stepping up to the plate to campaign for bikes. We recently released our ‘Backing The Bike’ federal election policy paper, outlining our five key priorities for advancing bike riding in Australia. But if there is one thing that will really make a difference this election, it's the marginal seats.  

A marginal seat (or marginal electorate) is one that is held by an incumbent with only a slight majority over other parties, often only a couple of percent. This means that the seat is very competitive and that the vote could easily swing between different parties.

Unsurprisingly, marginal seats are often targeted for increased campaigning by parties and are, therefore, common locations where funding announcements are made, as candidates busily try win the support of local voters.

And, as bike lovers and advocates, we can all use that to our advantage to see better outcomes for riding.

Many marginal seats already have exciting bike projects that the federal government can get behind. In others, simply boosting community uptake with things like financial incentives and bike programs could do a whole world of good.

Let’s count these marginal seats down and learn a bit more about what is happening…

What you need to know

In a recent survey, Bicycle Network members rated existing bike facilities in Hawkesbury and the Blue Mountains regions (which both fall into the Macquarie electorate) a measly 2 out of 10. But we can turn things around.

An exciting prospect is the River to Mountains Cycling Network concept plan, which comprises 14km of bike and walking paths around the wider Glenbrook region. Federal funding assistance to make these plans a reality will be an invaluable step to supporting the existing bike riding community and encouraging the curious to give the bike a go.

Rider safety along the Great Western Highway is also a key concern in Macquarie, as there are narrow shoulders and risky pinch points along its extent. Thankfully, recent federal funding has helped improve sections of the highway for riders. However, there are more untreated pinch points that require attention, and federal funds would be extremely valuable to expedite delivery. 

Running candidates

Liberal	Sarah Richards
Australian Labor Party	Susan Templeman
Greens	Joel MacKay
United Australia Party	Nicole Evans
Informed Medical Options	Michelle Palmer

What you need to know

There are two essential bike projects in the electorate of Bass that we are urging residents to get behind. Firstly, we would like to see federal input to complete the Rocherlea to Inveresk bike network. There is currently a separated path runs from Rocherlea south towards the city but a gap exists at Mowbray Racecourse with no safe off-road connection. A gap in the network like this can be the ‘make-or-break’ for a safe riding route. We would like to see some federal assistance to help close the gap.

A path between Launceston and Legana will also be an important step forward. This bike link, a possibility proposed in West Tamar Council’s Trails Strategy, will have a significant impact on bolstering active commuting in Bass, as well as offering a relaxing foreshore cruise for tourists.

Running candidates

Liberal	Bridget Archer
Australian Labor Party	Ross Hart
Greens	Cecily Rosol
United Australia Party	Kyle Squibb
Jacqui Lambie Network	Bob Salt

What you need to know

The key bike project in Chisholm is the Box Hill-Hawthorn Trail, a section of which will run through the electorate. To date, no federal funds have been allocated for building this much-needed strategic cycling corridor. The feasibility of the project has been confirmed, what is needed now is the funds to build it. 

Completion of this project will not only allow safe commuting into the city by bike; it will be a great way to target the uninitiated rider. Over 77.6 per cent of people within the electorate are ‘interested but concerned’ when it comes to riding a bike.

Bike thefts in Chisholm are quite high, and the electoriate ranks 17^th in the highest number of thefts per region in Victoria (based on LGA data). A key question is how federal candidates will support local and state government to improve parking, increase liveability and reduce theft.

Running candidates

Liberal	Gladys Liu
Australian Labor Party	Carina Garland
Greens	Sarah Newman
United Australia Party	Melanie Kempson
Citizens Party	Ryan Dare

What you need to know

Bike activity in Brisbane is booming, with around 43 per cent of people riding a bike at some point in the year, higher than the national figure. However, gender equity in bike riding is poor: previous counts by Bicycle Network females were found to comprise only 15 per cent of all riders.

The Lilley electorate encases the north-eastern part of the City of Brisbane local government area. The key project in this area is the North Brisbane Bikeway, which will run between Chermside and the Brisbane CBD. The Bikeway currently ends in Wooloowin, but Brisbane City Council has released concept designs for the Woolowin-Clayfield section, just south of Lilley, which will undergo construction in the short term. The remaining sections are yet to be implemented, and an injection of federal funding will help ensure delivery.

Running candidates

Australian Labor Party	Anika Wells
Greens	Melissa Stevens
United Australia Party	Gerardine Hoogland
Liberty and Democracy Party	Daniel Freshwater
Informed Medical Options	Stephen McGrath

What you need to know

Eden-Monaro is a federation seat largely incorporating agricultural areas, a number of rural and regional cities as well as a number of significant tourism related industries such as the NSW ski fields. Until 2016, the seat was considered a ‘bellwether electorate’, meaning it won by the winning government at every election.

Eden-Monaro is significant in that is houses a disused railway line running from Queanbeyan to Bombala, proposed to become the Monaro rail trail. At a total distance of 208 km,  the ride starts by exiting the Canberra Valley and traveling through towns such as Michelago and Bredbo, before hitting Cooma at the 110km mark. From Cooma, the trail would then cross the Great Dividing Range near Nimmitabel and finally cease at the town of Bombala.

The Monaro trail has been likened to the Otago Rail Trail in New Zealand which sees 14,000 riders per year and adds an estimated $10 m to the New Zealand economy each year. The rides are similar in that riders would spend up to 4 nights completing the ride, most likely staying at local accommodations along the way, contributing significantly to the local economy.

The path is highly popular amongst community members in Eden-Monaro and will be a close project to watch through the campaign. Federal Election candidates in the electorate will be critical in supporting the fast-tracking of the project or in commitments of federal funding for the trail.

Running candidates

Australian Labor Party	Kristy McBain
Liberal	Dr Jerry Knockles
Greens	Vivian Harris
United Australia Party	Darren Garnon
Informed Medical Options	Toni McLennan

What you need to know

Cowan is a metropolitan electorate in the northern suburbs of Perth. The 95 square kilometre electorate has recently grown and many new suburbs have been added to the electorate due to Western Australia losing one seat in a 2021 redistribution.

The seat has changed hands regularly over the past few previous elections and will definitely be courted by large campaigns from both major parties. The electorate is critical for bike riders in that it hosts many proposed key cycling corridors as part of the Long-Term Cycling Network, outlined by the WA Department of Transport.

As the electorates population has been growing rapidly, the need for greater commuter infrastructure has increased significantly. Thus, the WA Department of Transport has outlined a number of key routes through suburbs such as Morley and Marangaroo, to be built before 2050 to cater for the increasing demand for active travel infrastructure.

With federal funding commitments, these projects can be fast-tracked, and bike journeys for residents of Cowan can be made safer sooner. This electorate will be close and we hope all candidates will commit to supporting active travel.

Running candidates

Liberal	Vince Connelly
Australian Labor Party	Anne Aly
Greens	Isabella Tripp
United Australia Party	Claire Hand
Australian Christians	Ange Sylvie Iradukunda

What you need to know

Bike facilities could be massively improved to support the Corangamite electorate. In 2022, Bicycle Network members rated bike facilities in the Greater Geelong area (which overlaps with Corangamite) a paltry 4.3 out of 10. Bicycle Network's Bike Lane Report Card reveals that existing on-road bike lanes in this electorate grade between 'D' and 'E', indicating that major improvements are required.

Investing in bikes could really help ramp up active transport activity. At present, approximately 67.9% of people in the Geelong region are ‘interested but concerned’ about using a bike.

It starts with an active transport budget. We are urging federal election candidates to campaign for a nominal percentage of the federal transport budget to be set aside exclusively for active transport projects.

Running candidates

Liberal	Stephanie Asher
Australian Labor Party	Libby Coker
Greens	Alexandra Marshall
United Australia Party	Daniel Abou-Zeid
Liberty and Democracy Party	Paul Barker

What you need to know

The inner eastern electorate of Blair comprises sections of the Brisbane, Ipswich, Scenic Rim and Somerset local councils. 

Queensland has a ten-year strategy that guides the planning of bike facilities across the state. The bike routes of highest priority ('principal routes') within Blair can be reviewed in the South East Queensland Principal Cycle Network Plan, which include bike plans for key Blair locations such as Ipswich, Beaudesert, Esk, Kilcoy, Lowood and Boonah.

A key bike project in Blair is the Ipswich Inner CBD Cycle Network, the groundwork that will transform the city into an active transport mecca. Community consultation is currently underway to aid design, with construction expected in 2023/24. Federal funding could support delivery of this network and, given Queensland's track record with returns on bike investments, could be a viable economic option for the region.

Running candidates

Liberal National	Sam Biggins
Australian Labor Party	Shayne Neumann
Greens	Danielle Mutton
United Australia Party	Quinton Cunningham
Liberal Democrats	Michelle Jaques
Animal Justice	Angela Lowery
One Nation	Liz Suduk

What you need to know

The South Australian electorate of Boothby comprises the Marion, Mitcham, Holdfast Bay and Unley local government areas. Around 17.4% of South Australian residents rode a bicycle in the previous week, and approximately 38% in a year. This is less than the national figure but, as in other states, there was an appreciable uptick in riding in 2021. With bike enthusiasm on the rise, it is time to act.

There are two exciting bike projects that would support Boothby residents. The proposed Flinders-City Bikeway, running between Flinders University and Adelaide CBD, has been supported by the community and some sections are shovel-ready. Another high-priority route, the Belair to City Bikeway, would be a part separated bike path/part on-road lane facilities and has also been widely supported by the community. Federal funding to complete Stage 2 of this project would be extremely valuable.

There are also numerous improvements that can be made around the Marion local government area: safer crossing points at Marino Rocks for bikes and pedestrians to access public transport; safer on-road bike lane markings in Seacombe Gardens; a linear park shared path along Glengowrie’s Breakout Creek; and a shared path along South Rd and Majors Rd linking South Rd to the Southern Expressway veloway.

Running candidates

Liberal	Rachel Swift
Australian Labor Party	Louise Miller-Frost
Greens	Jeremy Carter
United Australia Party	Graeme Clark
Independent	Jo Dyer

What you need to know

The vast electorate of Indi comprises regional cities such as Wangaratta, Benalla, and Wodonga; as well as the scenic Indigo, Towong and Alpine regions. Bike theft rates in Indi are quite low, and the community health profile is higher than the Victorian average.

However, Indi has one exciting element that is ripe for campaigning: rail trails. There are massive opportunities for bike tourism in Indi, which currently houses the Murray-to-Mountains and High Country trails. Arguably, the most important project in Indi is a trail link between Yackandandah and Huon Valley that would connect these two trails. This would form an exciting, family-friendly rural bike network across several townships.

The proposed 31.3km trail will take riders through pastoral and forest scenery, offering visitors an exciting multi-day touristic experience, and locals the chance to move around actively. Completion of this project will benefit enormously from federal input.

Upgrades to the High Country Rail Trail are also incredibly important, including completion of the Shelley-Corryong section and numerous upgrades to the existing trail.

Running candidates

Liberal	Ross Lyman
Australian Labor Party	Nadia David
Greens	Benjamin Gilbert
Nationals	Elizabeth Fisher
United Australia Party	Stephen Williams
Independent	Helen Haines

What you can do

Don't underestimate your voting power! Reaching out to your local candidates this election will help push the changes we all want to see. And candidates want to hear from you. They want to represent your needs. 

Have a read of our article on writing to candidates here. You can figure out which electorate you live in via the Australian Electoral Commission website, and candidates can be found through the websites of each political party. 

Don’t forget to cc campaigns@bicyclenetwork.com.au in your correspondence. Any responses that you receive will be published on our campaign tracker!  

Bicycle Network would like to acknowledge the following organisations for their assistance in bringing this article together.