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Gimme 5 roadshow comes to Geelong and the Bellarine

Cyclists in purple jerseys ride together, promoting a community event.
When: 11am – 1pm Friday 25 September
Where: Foreshore beside the Portarlington Pier
Cost: free ~ byo picnic or support some of the Portarlington businesses

Bicycle Network’s Gimme 5 campaign is coming to Geelong and the Bellarine next week, asking for 5% of Victoria’s transport budget to be spent on developing the strategic cycling corridor network.

The Geelong/Bellarine arm of the Gimme 5 roadshow includes two events on Friday 25 September.

There will be a family-friendly community bike ride along Portarlington’s coastal trail from 11am to 1pm, details available here.

Before the ride, participants will hear from Bicycle Network’s CEO Alison McCormack about the Gimme 5 campaign, followed by a presentation by Bellarine Bicycle User Group about their vision for a network of shared trails in the region. Local state election candidates will be invited to attend.

Additionally, there will be a community meeting at Geelong West Neighbourhood House, 89 Autumn Street, from 2pm to 3.30pm.

Participants will share local stories about active transport in Geelong, meet invited state election candidates, and learn more about the Gimme 5 campaign.

The Gimme 5 campaign, which is led by Bicycle Network and supported by over 40 bicycle user groups, Streets Alive communities and other grassroots organisations, asks the state government to commit to spending 5% of Victoria’s transport budget on developing the strategic cycling corridors (SCCs).

The SCCs were developed by the state government and form a network of essential cycling routes that connect key destinations across the state.

There is no dedicated budget for building the SCC network, even though the Victorian Government wants 25% of all trips to be active by 2030 and roughly 75% of Victorians report being interested in riding, with the biggest barrier to uptake being a lack of protected infrastructure.

Particular SCC priorities for the region include:

  • High Street, Belmont
  • Gleringhap St’s missing 600 metres between Lt Malop Street and the Waterfront
  • North Geelong shared path (alongside North Geelong Station) lacking connections to other areas including Cowies Creek, Geelong Golf Club and Rippleside Park
  • ‘Pier to Vines’ trail between Portarlington and Drysdale (7km missing link)

“Building key bike infrastructure is vital to get more people riding,” said Bicycle Network CEO Alison McCormack.

“We’re asking the state government to prioritise active, sustainable transport in Victoria at a key time.

“With the cost of living crisis, more people than ever could benefit from improved bike infrastructure.

“If this matters to you too, you can use our site to write to ask your local MP, and state election candidates, to support the campaign. It only takes a couple of minutes.

“If you live in Geelong or the Bellarine and you care about bikes, we hope to see you at one of the roadshow events.”

You can find out more about the Gimme 5 campaign at https://bicyclenetwork.com.au/our-advocacy/strategic-cycling-corridor/ and view the full Gimme 5 roadshow schedule at https://gimme5.org/roadshow.

For more information and interviews, contact:
Bicycle Network Media at 0425 858 428 or media@bicyclenetwork.com.au

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