Bicycle Network: Funding & Budgets

Riders – drafting of council Budgets 2013/14 underway

05 March 2013. As you read this your council is preparing its 2013/14 budget. The time to act is now for more bike infrastructure funding!

March is a good time of year to get in the ear of your Councillors. They are currently deciding what expenditure will be included in the draft budget, prior to its circulation for public comment.

As a ratepayer/resident and rider, now is the time for Council to hear from you if you want them to commit more funding to improve your local riding environment.

We encourage you to engage with your Council at this early stage of the process, to better ensure that meaningful bike related expenditure is incorporated. Please remember to cc us at campaigns@bv.com.au with any correspondence so we can keep track.

For your convenience, see customised information available on Councils in: Metropolitan Melbourne, Regional Victoria and select NSW municipal areas.

Bicycle Network relies on your membership support to continue to campaign for improving riding conditions for all riders. If you have not already joined, become a member and receive crash cover and support, rider information and deals and help improve riding conditions.

Capital cities showing leadership on bike spending

15 November 2012. Australia’s capital city municipalities are sprinting away from the pack in the race to build expanded infrastructure to cater for the bike commuting boom.

At the other end of the scale, some Melbourne councils have snubbed the bike community again with irresponsibly low levels of investment.

The cities of Melbourne (up 303%), Sydney (up 43%), Brisbane (up 37%), and Adelaide (up 186%) have significantly boosted bike infrastructure expenditure as they fight to establish an international profile and economic competitiveness.

The results are revealed in the 2012 BiXE (Bicycle Expenditure Index) survey, released today by Bicycle Network. One hundred councils across Australia councils were surveyed. Download the comparative graph.

“Leading cities around the world have seized upon bike friendliness as a key selling point to attract jobs and visitors while reducing congestion,” Bicycle Network Victoria’s CEO, Craig Richards said.

“As a consequence most capital cities and many inner suburban councils are responding to the shift to bikes for transportation and recreation, and adapting their streets to meet this new reality.”

This is the seventh year of the project (and the biggest so far) which measures each council’s budget against a $5 per head threshold for spending on lanes, paths, signs and other facilities for bike riders.

BiXE's purpose is to make councils accountable for their bike investment performance, or lack of it.

Councils $37M: VicRoads Bicycle Program $0

This year 46% of councils are meeting the minimum threshold figure. Total council expenditure on bikes in Victoria will be $37 million for the year. This is in stark contrast to the State Government’s decision to cut the VicRoads Bicycle Program to zero during the same period.

Of the capitals, Melbourne is at $50 per head, Sydney $89, Adelaide $98, Brisbane $27, and Perth $30. Hobart is a miserable 99 cents. Melbourne is accelerating off a solid base whereas some of the other capitals, with higher numbers this year, have many years to go before reaching Melbourne’s level of infrastructure.

A positive result was that a number of local councils are double the minimum threshold and some are spending up to $20 per head.

The City of Yarra in inner suburban Melbourne has a five year average spend of $20 per head, and now leads the nation in bike use.

The news was not all good. In Victoria the cities of Maribyrnong, Hobsons Bay, Monash and Banyule were among those whose expenditure fell well below expectations.

Of the 17 councils surveyed in NSW, only three were above the threshold. A number of councils in the Sydney metropolitan area, including Randwick, Botany Bay, North Sydney and Leichardt, declined to provide data for this survey.

“There are still too many municipalities with their heads in the sand,” Mr Richards said. “Every year they delay action, the accumulated infrastructure deficit grows, and so ratepayers are left in the lurch.”

Council budget scrutiny

24 July 2012. Thank you to those of you who responded to our call for action by submitting comments in support of investment in bike infrastructure, whilst the draft budgets were on public exhibition. Many councils are currently finalising their budgets.

Here is a list of some of the budgets now available:

Interstate Councils

Riders – time to check council budgets

17 May 2012. Local Councils around Australia are now releasing publicly their draft Budgets for the next financial year and seeking public comment.

And with the Baillieu Government’s announcement that it would spend a Big Fat Zero on bike infrastructure in Victoria, much of the burden of responsibility to meet the needs of the community will now fall to Local Government.

Riders are being asked to write to their local council and ask them three questions:

How much are you committing to spend on bike facilities in the next financial year?
Is that more or less than last year?
What are the major bike facilities projects that you are funding?

Please cc Bicycle Network on any responses you receive and we will use that information as part of our ongoing campaigning for more and better bike facilities.

Hyperlinks to many Local Government Budgets are below. Once the Budgets have been adopted by councils we will review them as part of our Bicycle Expenditure Index (BiXE) process.

BiXE is about tracking how much councils spend on bike facilities each year, ensuring they spend more as rider numbers increase, and measuring whether they are spending at least $5 per head of population that is the minimum threshold for the provision of meaningful bike infrastructure.

Councils coasting on bike spend

17 November 2011. Local Government spending on bicycle infrastructure has fallen in the past year and many Australian municipalities now face painful expenditure hikes to bring their bike networks up to scratch, according to a national survey released today by the Bicycle Network.

Of 98 Australian councils studied as part of the annual Bicycle Expenditure Index (BiXE) 2011 report – which details local governments spending on bicycle infrastructure - only 42% met the $5 per resident spend that indicates a municipality has a meaningful commitment to increasing bike riding.

Bicycle Network’s Bike Futures program manager Mike Williamson said of particular concern in this year’s results were the number of councils that had been below the threshold for multiple years and now faced substantial investment to overcome a widening deficit in bike infrastructure.

Mr Williamson said: “Australia’s capital city councils are generally fulfilling their responsibilities, but Darwin is struggling at $4.04 and Hobart was scraping along spending just $1 per resident on bike facilities.

“More than 3.6 million Australians ride a bicycle each week for recreation, leisure or sport, including 1.2 million people who make at least one transport journey so it is imperative local government fulfil their responsibility by investing in appropriate facilities,” Mr Williamson said.

“We put the BiXE report together each year so councils and their communities can compare, contrast and understand what level of commitment their local representatives have to providing for bicycle transport and recreation.

“More and more municipalities are seeing the relevance of bicycles in their communities and the role they can play in addressing issues like community health, congestion and the cost of living.”

Nationally there is a huge variation between what capital cities are spending per resident on bike infrastructure:
• The City of Sydney BiXE is $62.34
• The City of Perth BiXE is $46.63
• The City of Adelaide BiXE is $34.21
• The City of Canberra BiXE is $26.77
• The City of Brisbane BiXE is $19.78
• The City of Melbourne BiXE is $12.43
• The City of Darwin BiXE is $4.04
• The City of Hobart BiXE is $1.00

In Victoria 54% of the councils analysed met or exceeded the recommended threshold of $5 per resident in 2011, up slightly from 52% in 2010 but below 62% in 2009. Well performed councils included the Shire of Surf Coast ($26.32 per person), the City of Yarra ($24.64), Rural City of Wangaratta ($15.83), City of Wyndham ($14.92) and City of Melbourne ($12.43).

Click here for large version of graph.

Victorian councils below the $5 threshold included Campaspe ($0.51), Glenelg ($0.94), Mitchell ($1.06), Swan Hill ($1.35), Wodonga ($1.65), Colac ($2.04), Macedon ($2.04), Moorabool ($3.11), Greater Shepparton ($4.67), Wellington ($4.82), Baw Baw ($4.92), Greater Geelong ($4.95), Maroondah ($1.87), Whittlesea ($2.59), Greater Dandenong ($2.84), Brimbank ($3.68), Casey ($4.34), Frankston ($4.71), Monash ($1.08), Banyule ($1.13), Kingston ($3.70), Whitehorse ($3.72), Moonee Valley ($4.88), Maribyrnong ($2.85), and Stonnington ($4.24).

In NSW, while the City of Sydney is investing $62.34 per resident, large centres like Newcastle ($2.82), Parramatta ($1.10) and Manly ($1.07) are significantly below the $5 spend that indicates a municipality has a meaningful commitment to increasing bike riding.

In Queensland, the City of Brisbane is investing $19.78 per resident and the Gold Coast $6.37 but Townsville ($1.41) is lagging.

In South Australia, the City of Adelaide is spending $34.21 per resident while Burnside is investing significantly less, just 22 cents per resident.

In Tasmania, the City of Hobart’s spend of just $1 per resident was far outstripped by Devonport ($6.89), Clarence ($6.23), and Launceston ($4.06).

In Western Australia, the City of Perth’s 2011 spend of $46.63 per resident contrasted with significantly lower spends by a number of councils including Subiaco ($1.33) and South Perth ($1.14).

In the Northern Territory, Darwin ($4.04) invested significantly more than Alice Springs ($2.86).

A full copy of the report can be downloaded here.

Don't miss the chance to have your say

19 May 2011. BiXE 2011 will be published in November 2011 but the work starts now with you. Council budgets will be finalised soon and draft documents released online over the coming months. Make sure you have your say by communicating to your council about whatt you want in terms of bike spending.

Write to your council to help ensure that they are doing the right things for bikes.

Council funding stuck in the middle

8 December 2010. Melbourne's prosperous middle suburbs have recorded disappointing results in this year's annual analysis of bike facility expenditure.

Whereas the inner zone councils seized the opportunity to improve the mobility and health of their citizens, with decent levels of spending on bike facilities, the middle zone was slack.

The councils of Kingston, Glen Eira, Bayside, Darebin, Whitehorse, Banyule and Monash all spent well below the threshold expenditure level of $5 per head. Monash is spending just 82 cents per head.

The City of Moreland was also below the threshold, but not alarmingly so.

These municipalities all have large numbers of potential bicycle commuters who would willingly switch from congested car routes and overcrowded public transport if attractive bike infrastructure was provided.

The figures are reported in the 2010 BiXE (Bicycle Expenditure Index) survey, undertaken each year by Bicycle Network Victoria.

The survey builds an index of council bike expenditure for the 2010-11 financial year comparing each council’s budget against a $5 per head threshold for spending on lanes, paths and other facilities for bike riders.

Councils are consulted during the analysis to improve accuracy and make year-to-year comparisons useful.

The middle zone councils above the BiXE threshold were Manningham, Boroondara, Hobson’s Bay and Moonee Valley.

Again the inner zone councils showed the way, with Yarra, Melbourne, Port Phillip and Maribyrnong above the threshold. The City of Stonnington remains a laggard, again reporting sub-standard investment levels.

Yarra is spending more than $20 per head this year, a fine effort. For comparison, Copenhagen in Denmark is spending $95 per head.

The expenditure details of all 50 councils can be found in the report here.

Help with the follow up work to BiXE 2009

19 November 2009. Bicycle Network Victoria is seeking volunteers to help us disseminate vital information to members and to local government.

This work will involve the manipulation of web content in order to maximise access to key information for members and local government people. Time is flexible and you would be based in our Collins Street office.

If interested, please contact us.
 

More councils get it - bike infrastructure spend rises again

10 November 2009. Victorian councils are reacting positively to the current explosion in bike use by further boosting spending on much needed infrastructure.

A new Victoria-wide survey shows that 62 percent of councils across the state are now meeting or exceeding the suggested bike spending threshold compared to 45 percent in 2008 and a mere 25 percent in 2007.

The latest figures come from the 2009 BiXE (Bicycle Expenditure Index) survey, undertaken by Bicycle Network Victoria. Fifty councils were surveyed.

The survey builds an index of council bike expenditure which measures each council’s budget against a $5 per head threshold for spending on lanes, paths, signs and other facilities for bike riders.

Councils are consulted during the analysis to improve accuracy and make year-to-year and council-to-council comparisons useful.

“This positive result shows that many local authorities in Victoria have woken up that there is a big shift towards bike use and that there is a pressing need for investment to cater for the increasing demand”, Mike Williamson, Bicycle Network Victoria’s Facilities Development Manager for local government, said today.

“However BiXE 2009 also highlights that a number of councils fall disappointingly short of the accepted threshold. For these councils there is much work to do before they meet their responsibilities to their communities.”

Some of the strongest performers in the BiXE 2009 included the cities of Bass Coast, East Gippsland, Greater Shepparton, Melbourne, Moira, Mornington Peninsula, Wangaratta, Warrnambool, Whittlesea, and Yarra. In these authorities, the BiXE ranged from just over $10 per capita up to as high as $21.33 per capita.

This year Bicycle Network Victoria also assessed, for comparative purposes, spending by interstate authorities. Brisbane City comes in at of $37.91 per capita and Sydney City is at $156.92.

 See detail in the full BiXE 2009 report here

Help us with vital bike research for BiXE 2009

1 July 2009. Bicycle Network Victoria needs people to work with us on a voluntary basis to research and analyse local authority budgets for BiXE, our annual survey of local government spending on bike infrastructure for bike riders

If you have experience in the analysis of budgets and other financial information, can commit to 1 or 2 days per week during mid-July to mid-August and would like to contribute to getting More People Cycling More Often, get in touch by contacting Mike Williamson on (03) 8376 8848 or use this contact form

Councils get their act together—now spending more on bike infrastructure

9 January 2009. A new Victoria-wide survey shows that local government has boosted spending on infrastructure for bike riders during 2008.

Fifty per cent of councils are now meeting the $5 per head threshold for spending on lanes, paths, signs and other facilities for bike riders.

This compares to only 25 per cent of councils that met the threshold figure the year before.

The latest figures come from the 2008 BiXE (Bicycle Expenditure Index) survey, undertaken by Bicycle Network Victoria. Forty-six councils were surveyed.

The survey analyses council budgets for 2008-09 and identifies bike-related infrastructure expenditure. Councils are consulted during the analysis to improve accuracy and make year-to-year comparisons useful.

The Index was first compiled in 2007, when 22 council budgets were examined.

“This survey shows that many councils are delivering on their responsibilities to bike riders and investing in the required infrastructure,” Mike Williamson, Bicycle Network Victoria’s facilities manager for local government, said.

“The jump from last year is a great result, but there is much to be done as half of the state’s councils are still lagging badly and not meeting their obligations to their communities.

“Bike riding for transportation and recreation is growing rapidly and all councils should be making firm commitments to new investment, and to maintenance, so that they can cope with the demand from the community.”

Mr Williamson said that the highest performers in BiXE 2008 were the cities of Yarra, Manningham, Wyndham, Casey, Whittlesea and Warrnambool, as well as the shires of Campaspe and Bass Coast. In these authorities, the BiXE ranged from just over $10 per capita up to as high as $18.96 per capita.

Generally spending in ‘Outer’ councils exceeded expenditure in the ‘Inner’ and ‘Middle’ councils.

The $5 per capita threshold is a minimum standard adopted by Bicycle Network Victoria. For comparison the City of Brisbane committed $19 per capita in 2008 and Hobart $8.70.

Full report here.

BiXE now brings regional councils to account

  
18 December 2008. BiXE, Bicycle Network Victoria¹s index of bike infrastructure spending by local government authorities, will be even more powerful next year with the inclusion of regional councils for the first time.

BiXE, first launched in 2007, has moved from an analysis of 22 local authorities to a comprehensive report on 46 councils throughout Victoria. It also includes some comparisons with interstate expenditure.

When launched next January the new 2008 BiXE index is expected to show that a number of councils have exceeded the Bicycle Network Victoria benchmark of $5 per resident -- a remarkable result which shows that councils are paying attention to BiXE research.

Regrettably we expect there to be a significant number of authorities whose expenditure falls below our benchmark.

2008 BiXE is nearing completion, with a small number of councils still to confirm their expenditure figures with us.A full report and analysis will made available to members during January, when you can see just how your local council is progressing.

We will also be making sure that the relevant local authority employees and the media receive this information.

Council draft budgets available for public comment - what is your council BiXE 2008 rating going to be?

05 June 2008 Council Budgets are now out for public comment. This is a great opportunity for you to see what your local government is proposing to do for bikes in the 2008-09 financial year and have your say.
Last year we reviewed the metropolitan councils' bike budgets and compared the results.

The City of Hobsons Bay are proposing to increase their bike budget by $90,000 from the existing $300,000 to total $390,000 in 2008-2009. This will increase their BIXE rating (Bike expenditure per resident) from 3.53 to 4.59 and is a positive step for residents in the area.

The BiXE rating is calculated by dividing the Bike Budget figure by the number of residents in Hobsons Bay (85,000 people). We believe that councils should realistically strive to achieve a BIXE rating of at least 5. Many councils are already close to or exceeding this rating.

Your local Council will most likely have their draft Budget for 2008-09 out for public comment now and available for comment. You can find out how much they are proposing to allocate to bike projects for the next financial year and calculate the BiXE rating (find the number of residents in your council area here).

Please be aware that bike-related expenditure may not be clearly identified in your council budget as projects may be incorporated into other categories such as: Transport, recreation, open spaces, or be done as part of other works such as road resheetings, drainage etc. If in doubt please seek clarification from your council.

You can give your feedback (keep it positive or at least constructive) and let your council know how you rate their efforts. Please CC the Bicycle Network Victoria Campaigns team so we can gauge your feedback

BIXE launched

Sep 08 BIXE 2007 enables Councils in metropolitan Melbourne to compare their direct spending on bike facilities such as on road bike lanes, off-road bike paths and bike parking with other Councils. 

It will help Councillors set budgets and staff shape programs. Residents will also be able to see how well their Council is performing for them.

BIXE 2007 has gathered data from published 2007/2008 Council budgets. Councillors and officers have also been given the opportunity to confirm or revise these figures. The index measures direct reported spending. Bike riders will of course benefit from other spending such as resheeting of roads, park improvements and pedestrian crossings.

BIXE 2007 results are presented in the graph right. (Click on the image for detailed pdf). The index presents dollars spent per resident. This is the most appropriate measure because population varies widely between Councils. 

BIXE 2007 groups Councils into Inner, Middle and Outer zones. This reflects the different urban environments across metropolitan Melbourne.

BIXE 2007 therefore compares ‘apples with apples’ and provides a realistic comparison of  direct spending on bike facilities. 

Bicycle Victoria suggests that $5 a resident is a fair and responsible benchmark for Local Government expenditure on bike riding. Currently one quarter of Melbourne's metropolitan Councils meet or exceed this mark.

BIXE 2007 shows:

• Only one quarter of Councils across Melbourne are spending up to or near the suggested benchmark of $5 per resident
• In general Middle Councils spend less than those in inner and outer areas.
• Those at or above the benchmark are:
  • The City of Melbourne which allocates funds to bike riding from its share of the CBD Parking Levy
  • The City of Maribyrnong
  • The City of Casey
  • Mornington Peninsula Shire who have spent over $10m in the last three years
  • City of Knox
  • City of Wyndham.
  • A few others are not far behind.
• The big improver over the last 12 months is the City of Brimbank whose bike riding budget jumped by more than $500 000
• Inner Councils - We were surprised at the low allocation in the inner area by the City of Stonnington.
• Middle Councils - We were surprised at the low allocation in the middle area by:
  • City of Moonee Valley
  • City of Monash
  • City of Moreland
  • City of Manningham
  • City of Whitehorse

There are many people in these Middle Councils who are ready to take transport and recreational trips by bike. They are just waiting for the Council to put in the lanes and paths.

• Outer Councils - We were surprised at the low allocation in the outer area by:
  • City of Melton
  • City of Whittlesea
  • City of Dandenong
  • City of Maroondah
  • Shire of Yarra Ranges
  • City of Hume
  • City of Frankston

These Councils should follow the lead of Councils like Wyndham and Casey who are benefiting from increased bike riding. $5 per person is not a lot to spend to keep the congestion, obesity and inactivity monsters away.

Actual bike budgets are outlined in the pdf (see above, right). As stated above, we believe the dollar per resident figure is a more useful tool.

Note: BIXE 2007 only covers Metropolitan Melbourne. We are aiming to include a wider group of Councils in BIXE 2008.