Saturday 20 August 2011

MELBOURNE'S SUNDAY PAPERS - AUG 21, 2011.


The Baillieu/Ryan coalition beat the Bracks/Brumby Labor Government in Victoria just nine months ago. In opposition the coalition made encouraging noises for motorcycle & scooter riders. But so did Bracks in opposition a decade ago. In government though Bailieu's Roads Minister, Terry Mulder (terence.mulder@parliament.vic.gov.au), seems to have been taken in tow by VicRoads/TAC/Police where this state's 326,000 road riders are concerned.

Ted Baillieu MP and Damien Codognotto OAM at the opening of the Italian Museum in Carlton on Sunday, October 3, 2010.

Premier Baillieu (ted.baillieu@parliament.vic.gov.au) would do well to remember that a lot of people in Melbourne's north and west ride motorcycles & scooters to work because they save a lot of time & money compared to a car.


Roads Minister Mulder would do well to compare the cost to this state of on-road bicycle crashes compared with on-road motorcycle & scooter crashes. All levels of government spend hundreds of millions of dollars on bicyclists who do not wear much protective clothing and who do not contribute to the system financially.

Motorcycle & scooter riders wear protective clothing, pay road charges twice, on a car and a bike, and vote.

Damien Codognotto OAM
Independent Riders' Group 


The Sunday Age

LIBERALS HOME IN ON TRADITIONAL LABOR LAND

By state politics reporter Farrah Tomazin

"AN ELECTION is three years and three months away, but Ted Baillieu and the Victorian Liberals have already set their sights on Labor's heartland - the working class suburbs of Melbourne's north and west.

Bouyed by last year's victory, the Liberals are targeting traditional ALP strongholds, accusing Labor of neglecting these areas as they move to bolster their own membership base before the 2014 poll.

Liberal state electorate councils - the peak body for local branches - have been set up in Broadmeadows, Altona and Footscray to help devise campaign strategies.

Local MPs and rank-and-file members are being urged by party headquarters to 'get active' early in the political cycle.  ..."

Motorcycle & scooter riders would be doing themselves a favour by getting active in the political cycle. Experience shows there's a lot to be gained from getting organised and using our political muscle.

My local council, Manningham east of Melbourne, budgets over $12 per resident per year for bicycle facilities. That's $12 whether the ratepayer is a bicyclist or not. And this financial year "Bicycle Strategy implementation, $260,000 in addition to linear and shared path developments. ..." 

In 2006 the Bracks Government spent an additional $70 million on bicycling. Then there's federal funding given to pushbike riders. Good on 'em. Bicycle Victoria saw how the Motorcycle Riders' Association (MRA) was lobbying in the late 1970s and increased their political muscle while the MRA atrophied.

Two things to think about. Why is it that no one ever compares the real cost to society in dollar terms of road bicycle crashes with road motorcycle & scooter crashes? Will there ever be a real budget for motorcycle & scooter research, safety & facilities while the TAC tax rip off continues?


The Herald Sun

BREAK THE DANGEROUS CYCLE NOW

By Hamish Heard  heardh@heraldsun.com.au

"THE State Government is moving to quell rising tensions between cyclists and drivers as new figures show 48 cyclists have been killed on Victorian roads in five years. ...

The Government has pledged bike projects totalling $16 million in reponse to the state's booming cycling industry.

City of Melbourne figures show the number of cyclists commuting to work in the CBD each day has more than tripled since 2006 to 6955.

Transport Accident Commission data show 48 cyclists died on the state's roads over the same period.

That figure doesn't include several cases where victims have either died more than a year after the crash or not been on their bikes when they were hit by cars. Other figures show 483 cyclists have been taken to hospital after crashes at 139 crash hot spots in Melbourne since 2006. ..."

The Baillieu Government will take over $7 million in TAC tax off Victorian road motorcycle & scooter riders this year while it gives bicyclists an extra $16 million. That is not fair. If you want to have a say on this issue, send an email to the Victorian Parliamentary Road Safety Committee (RSC).  rsc@parliament.vic.gov.au  The RSC is conducting an inquiry into motorcycle & scooter safety. They will report by June 2012. You can have a look at the motorcycle & scooter inquiry terms of reference and related material by visiting http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/ and clicking on committees.

Damien Codognotto OAM
Independent Riders' Group



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