What will your new Lord Mayor do for mountain biking in Brisbane? Here are their answers.

On Monday 29 January, we sent the letter below to each of Lord Mayoral candidates in Brisbane . You can read their responses here:

Dear Lord Mayor candidate,

I am writing to you as a member of the vibrant mountain biking community here in Brisbane. With the upcoming elections, it's crucial for us, as enthusiasts and advocates for outdoor recreation, to understand your concrete plans for supporting our community, which comprises approximately 50,000 riders in our city alone.

Outpacing the growth in bushwalking, mountain biking has seen extraordinary growth in recent years in Queensland and Brisbane, yet real investment hasn’t followed – after a decade of inaction, residents of Brisbane still only have a single, small network at Mt Coot-tha. Multiple surveys, strategies and concepts in that period have delivered zero new mountain bike single-track – the type of off-road cycling that council itself recognises as the most popular. This is dramatically lagging the rest of the state and country and hardly befitting a new world city hosting the Olympics in 2032 (mountain biking has been an Olympic sport since 1996).

I am a member of Brisbane Off-Road Riders Alliance Inc. (BORRA) which formed in 2019 and is dedicated to advocating for Brisbane residents with a focus on mountain biking. BORRA now boasts over 800 members, is well connected with local AusCycling clubs and is a registered Bicycle Queensland Bicycle User Group (BUG). BORRA has made formal submissions to every BCC planning instrument covering mountain biking since 2019, and via legal Right to Information requests, has analysed the (redacted) details of every submission made by the public to BCC.

Based on that analysis and our own surveys (of over 1200 local residents), BORRA asserts that improvements in mountain biking are well supported by the general community in Brisbane and that objections, which are mostly the result of misconceptions fuelled by a very small minority, have declined over time. In 2021, council reported that its own off-road cycling strategy (BORC Strategy) was heavily supported with 89% of respondents supporting more trails in multiple locations. Yet, something inside council has held back implementation, and Brisbane residents have missed out as a result.

BORRA envision a future for mountain biking in Brisbane that goes beyond recreation. We see:

• A more active population, as people are more likely to exercise if it's close and convenient.

• Collaboration between the mountain biking and Bushcare communities, based on mutual respect, fostering a strong sense of community.

• Mountain biking serving as a gateway to active travel, with kids and adults alike embracing biking as a mode of transportation and learning resilience along the way.

• Brisbane residents riding to trails in a natural area that's within 5km of their house rather than driving 10-15km, promoting sustainable transport and benefiting the environment.

• A reduction in unsanctioned activities like building jumps in district parks, with riders instead channelling their energy into authorised local projects.

• A diverse range of trails, including more advanced options, catering to the needs of all riders.

• An appropriate volume of trails forming a larger "regionally significant network" at Mt Coot-tha and smaller networks at 4 or 5 other locations (as defined in council’s own strategy) – better aligning with Brisbane's status as a new world city.

Given the lack of tangible implementation we've witnessed over the past decade, we seek straightforward and actionable commitments from you. Here are two questions regarding BCC’s BORC Strategy that I would like concrete responses for:

1. Will BCC allocate and publish a dedicated budget for trail expansion and maintenance in Brisbane within 6 months of the March election? If not, when?

2. Can we expect to see a comprehensive plan outlining trail development projects in the areas denoted as ‘Short Term Opportunities’ in the Off-Road Cycling Strategy within 6 months of the March election? If not, when?

I believe that clear, actionable commitments are essential for building trust and ensuring accountability in public office. Your responses to these questions will not only demonstrate your commitment to supporting the mountain biking community but also enable us to hold you accountable for tangible progress.

Thank you for considering our concerns. I eagerly await your response and hope to see your plans for supporting outdoor recreation in Brisbane.

Sincerely,