AUSTRALIAN BICYCLE COUNCIL MEETINGS, SYDNEY 27TH/28TH MAY 1999, AND CAIRNS, 20TH AUGUST 1999
I represent New Zealand on the Australian Bicycle Council (ABC). This is a `reference group’ of Austroads, charged with overseeing the implementation of `Australia Cycling – The National Strategy 1999 – 2004’.
New Zealand (through Transit New Zealand) is a full member of the ABC, but New Zealand has not officially endorsed `Australia Cycling’. My function on the Council at present is therefore keeping a watching brief on the Council’s business, and facilitating information exchange on cycling policy practice.
A significant function I perform is the preparation (as does each Australian state or territory) of a `State of the Nation’ report – basically a summary of what has been happening in the cycling policy area. This has already had an effect within New Zealand of giving the diversity of agencies involved some awareness of each others’ activities and roles. Australia Cycling, whilst not endorsed in New Zealand, is begging the question in the minds of many as to whether New Zealand should formulate and progress something similar, and if so what, and how. My `State of the Nation’ reports also show that there is already a fair amount of activity – whether New Zealand has any formal over-arching national strategy or not.
This year I have attended the February (Adelaide) ABC meeting, a few days before the federal ministerial launch of `Australia Cycling’, and the May (Sydney) meeting. Following the launch, the business of the ABC has sharply changed focus from the constitution of the Strategy and the Council, to detailed implementation matters.
New Zealand, through its political independence, is in a unique position. We do not have to take any notice of `Australia Cycling’, yet plainly it is `good practice’ we can learn from. I feel we should use this freedom to assert that New Zealand is fully a member with a contribution to make – we should quietly fail to concur with any suggestion that all we are there for is to `copy the Aussies'. In this respect, there may be scope to report to the Council any developments resulting from strengthened joint working within New Zealand – the `Aussies’ can learn from us as well as us from them!
We should also not overlook the networking role of the Council and its meetings. The August ABC meeting, which I have been unable to attend, has been imaginatively used by its host state, Queensland. Deliberately choosing a regional venue instead of the state capital, it has been co-incided with the `Cairns Regional Cycling Forum’, putting ABC members in touch with local activity which is significant, but which otherwise could easily be eclipsed by Brisbane.
The ABC has not yet met in New Zealand, and I do not feel the time is right to suggest this, but at an appropriate time we too could use this to `fly our flag’, taking the opportunity to put visitors from across Australia in touch with what is happening here. A good reason to stay involved with what is, in spite of its name, a Trans-Tasman body.
Tel (07) 838 6896, fax (07) 838 6440, e-mail roger.boulter@hcc.govt.nz
Transportation Policy Planner, Hamilton City Council
New Zealand Co-Representative, Australian Bicycle Council
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