Bicycle Network: Take Action

Age attack rings hollow

23 October 2008. The Age newspaper in Melbourne recently carried stories attacking Bicycle Network Victoria.

These stories implied that we were in the pocket of VicRoads and that we did next to nothing to get governments to improve the world of bike riding.

No evidence was offered to substantiate these damaging accusations, indicating that they were published in the knowledge that they were false.

This has perturbed many Bicycle Network Victoria members and staff: those who have worked closely with us on numerous campaigns in recent years know just how wrong those accusations are.

We regard these stories as a baseless and unprincipled attack on the selfless efforts of members, employees and volunteers, who have always acted with integrity as they improve our bike riding environment.

The Age has since published a letter from CEO, Harry Barber. It reads:

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"More people riding: that's our aim

IMAGINE my surprise to see myself quoted in the paper today (The Age, 15/10) saying that the purpose of Bicycle Network Victoria is not to advocate to government.

It would have been a surprise to many people at all levels of government as well.

For more than 10 years Bicycle Network Victoria and its members and supporters have worked towards our purpose of getting more people cycling more often. Much of our effort goes into convincing government to invest in bike facilities and behaviour-change programs that will get people riding for recreation and/or transport.

To achieve this, depending on the circumstances, we support, inform, encourage, request, cajole, entreat, lobby and push. Sometimes we find it necessary to criticize or oppose. We try to thank those who have made things happen.

Our measure of success is not how many times we have made the Government uncomfortable but how many people we have got riding."
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The original is here:

Members can be assured that our lobbying efforts are intense, professional and bearing fruit.