[YarraBUG-list] YarraBUG July News

Thu Jun 26 00:11:09 AEST 2008

Hi all,

Here's another feature-packed YarraBUG newsletter, don't forget to 
contact us if you want to include cycling news or local events.

cheers,

Chris

****

- YarraBUG Meeting - June 29
- Yarra Council Draft Budget 2008-09
- YarraBUG Radio Show Update
- Darebin Bridge News
- First 'No Tunnel' campaign meeting this Thursday - Open to All!
- Human Powered Cycles - Last chance to register for Saturday's 
intermediate training
- Melbourne Bicycle Co-operative
- Assistance Required for Cycling Thesis
- In the Bike Lane - Crew Call out
- Melbourne Bicycle Account 2008 photo competition
- Eighth Annual Bicycle Film Festival - Melbourne 2008 Call For Entries 
- Local Content
- Rides and Events
- Cycling in the News

1. YarraBUG Meeting - Sunday 29th June
Our next YarraBUG Meeting is *this Sunday*. Our meetings are held 2pm, 
last Sunday of the month, at The Queens - Q Cafe, 304 Queens Parade 
Clifton Hill. This months agenda includes finalising the YarraBUG 
submission to the East West Link Needs Assessment and a Clearways 
submission to the State Government. Even if you cannot attend the 
meeting, we would still greatly appreciate any input and ideas you have 
for these issues, please feel free to email: enquiriesATyarrabug.org or 
call Chris: 0407 825 467. Public submissions for the East West Link 
Needs Assessment are open until 15 July 2008. The meeting agenda will 
also include YarraBUG promotional stuff (printing quote), YarraBUG radio 
show update and the proposed Yarra Council Draft Budget. (see details below)

2. Yarra Council Draft Budget 2008-09
The Yarra Council Draft Budget for 2008-09 includes initiatives from the 
Yarra Council resolution - Support for Bicycle Riding that Cr Kathleen 
Maltzahn presented to Yarra Council meeting in September 2007. On 20 
November 2007, Council resolved to support an amended motion calling for 
further action on local cycling issues. This resolution originally came 
from in part from feedback received by Cr Kathleen Maltzahn and Cr 
Jackie Fristacky at YarraBUG's Public Forum in September 2007.

This is potentially a excellent development, as it illustrates peoples 
ideas flowing from YarraBUG's public forum, right through to this years 
Yarra Council Draft Budget. The Draft Budget includes $40,000 for a 
Bicycle Strategy, the Bicycle Network Budget is $168,000, which is a 
moderate increase on prior budgets, with another $30,000 allocated for a 
Bicycle & Pedestrian Facility Scoping Project, although with additional 
funding for IMAP Implementations.

 From the Draft Budget: Developing a bicycle strategy will be one part 
of Council addressing local transport needs. Yarra has the highest 
proportion of residents cycling to work and further improvements to the 
bike path network will help to increase this level.
 From Yarra Council: Council will consider all submissions received and 
hold a further meeting on Monday 30 June 2008, from 6.30pm at the 
Fitzroy Town Hall to consider the proposed Budget, with or without 
changes, for final adoption.

3. YarraBUG Radio Show Update
Our six volunteers have almost completed their radio announcer training 
and are all enjoying the process immensely. Our six soon-to-be radio 
announcers are Rob, Sonya , Val, Emma, Steve and Chris. Topics covered 
in our training have included panel operation, writing for radio, 
digital editing and interviewing. If you have any ideas for show 
segments or interviewing subjects, please feel free to make a 
contribution! In last months newsletter we asked for potential show 
names, we're almost at the stage of making that tricky decision and will 
let you all know as soon as we've settled upon a name. Many thanks to 
everyone to who sent in name suggestions. (and more!)

4. Darebin Bridge News
Good news from the Boroondara Council meeting last Monday night (16/6). 
Despite a late start to the meeting, a power failure and impassioned 
speeches for and against the proposed link, near midnight the council 
voted 5 to 4 in favour for the Darebin Bridge permit. So now the bridge 
plan will go to VCAT to make their ruling. Hopefully in the affirmative, 
fingers crossed! More about the long-running Darebin Bridge campaign at 
BoroondaraBUG:
http://www.boroondarabug.org/wiki/index.php/Darebin_Creek_Trail

Progress Leader: Cyclists win Willsmere Park battle (24/6/08)
Cyclists are celebrating after Boroondara Council last week approved a 
bike path and bridge through Kew's Willsmere Park. After more than 10 
years, two environmental studies and an ongoing battle between cyclists 
and park users, councillors voted 5-4 at an urban planning meeting to 
approve the 2km shared pathway and bridge that will link the Darebin 
Creek and Main Yarra trails.
http://www.progressleader.com.au/article/2008/06/24/37521_ppv_news.html

5. First 'No Tunnel' campaign meeting this Thursday - Open to All!
 From Cr Stephen Jolly: The recent public meeting at Fitzroy Town Hall 
launched a community campaign to stop the tunnel. We voted to endorse an 
'open-to-all' campaign with regular meetings to organise actions and 
other events to build up support and take on the State government and 
road lobby. The first campaign meeting it this Thursday, June 26, 7pm at 
Fitzroy Town Hall on the corner of Moor and Napier Streets Fitzroy. Come 
along and help us organise a campaign to stop the proposed tunnel 
linking the Eastern Freeway to Melbourne's west. For more information 
contact me on 0433 113 421 Stephen Jolly, Councillor Langridge Ward

6. Human Powered Cycles - Last chance to register for Saturday's 
intermediate training
There are still a few places available in Saturday's intermediate bike 
maintenance training session.
More: 
http://www.humanpowered.com.au/tiki/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=127

7. Melbourne Bicycle Co-operative
The Melbourne Bicycle Co-operative has been recently formed and is 
affliated with the Melbourne University Student Union through the 
environment department. It will be a membership based co-op that will 
have tools for people to fix their own bikes, and run a really exciting 
recycled bicycle program initially facilitated by the huge number of 
abandoned bikes at Melbourne Uni. It is not a project exclusively for 
Melbourne Uni people but for the Melbourne bike community. This is the 
link to the forum which has just been established if you want to check 
it out: http://mbc.mybb3.org and an email address that you can join to 
be forwarded all the juicy bike goss: cyclemelbATgmail.com

8. Assistance Required for Cycling Thesis
 From Emelia: An outline of my project is looking at how different 
people using different bicycles choose to use the road in different ways 
including the routes and roads they choose to, in their experiences of 
the city. I am now in the process of recruiting participants and 
conducting preliminary interviews. I was wondering if people would be 
interested in participating in the research project. It will take 
approximately 2 hours of your time at a time that is convenient to you. 
It would involve an informal chat about your bike and cycling practices 
and stories and then a ride with on a journey that you know or make on a 
regular basis and then a short debrief afterwards. I was also wanting to 
acquire at some stage a camera that could be mounted on a bicycle for 
the production of video diaries for participants that were super keen. 
Want to know more? Contact Emelia: e.bishopATugrad.unimelb.edu.au

9. In the Bike Lane - Crew Call out
 From Sonya: (Producer for In the Bike Lane) A pilot for a half hour TV 
show all the Melbourne commuter cyclists are going to be talking about 
called ‘In the Bike Lane’. It is slated for shooting on July 7th and 
July 14th. There’ll be a host, three presenters, two panelists and a 
panel anchor. I need crew and hope you can help me out by putting the 
word around. Maybe you have skills you want to hone and contribute to 
this project? Maybe you just want to come for Dave’s food! It is going 
to be a lot of fun with lots of new and some experienced talent in front 
of the camera. The following will make up the studio crew, 4 camera 
operators, director, set director, 1st AD, a floor manager, an autocue 
operator, an audio tech, a vision switcher, a tape operator, a lighting 
and CCU setup tech, production assistants, makeup and caterers. Want to 
know more about how you can take on any of these roles? Email or call me 
on 0422 756 994 e: severardATnetspace.net.au

10. Melbourne Bicycle Account 2008 photo competition
 From City of Melbourne: Over the coming months, the City of Melbourne 
will be preparing the 2008 Melbourne Bicycle Account which will be 
released at Ride to Work Day in October. This year, the City of 
Melbourne is asking all cycling and photography enthusiasts to send in 
images that represent the true character of cycling in Melbourne. The 
best photographs will be selected for the next edition of the City of 
Melbourne's Melbourne Bicycle Account (MBA) 2008 with photo credits. All 
winners will receive a $100 voucher from CBD Cycles. Please send your 
photos with details of the street and suburb and a completed photo 
release form for each photo to stuart.outhred at melbourne.vic.gov.au by 
Monday, 1 September 2008. Further details + entry forms:
http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/info.cfm?top=70&pa=1154&pa2=3884&pg=4114

11. Eighth Annual Bicycle Film Festival - Melbourne 2008 Call For 
Entries - Local Content
 From Julie: We are looking for locally-made films with a strong theme 
or character of Bicycles. This includes all mediums and styles such as 
animation, experimental, narrative, documentary and music videos. The 
films can be up to feature-length but shorts are preferred. We want 
films about bikes, cyclists, and the local bike scene. Festival dates: 
20 - 23 November 2008 Deadline for entries: 12 September 2008. Download 
entry form at: www.ambiguoushorse.com For inspiration visit: 
www.bicyclefilmfestival.com

12. Rides and Events

Roller Derby #6 - Friday 27 June
Brunswick Cycling Club, Fyxomatosis and Knog are proud to present round 
6 of the Roller Derby at the ... Brunswick Clubrooms, Friday 27th June, 
starting at 6:30pm. A fun social evening of handicapped roller racing 
kicking off at 6:30pm. Awesome prize packs to be won - $10 to race, 
spectators free. All proceeds will be donated to St Mary's House of 
Welcome on Brunswick St. Fitzroy, which provides targeted services, 
including day programs, crisis response, information, referral and 
social support to marginalised and homeless adults.

This month also sees the introduction of the Chooka Challenge! Ride 4 
laps in under a minute on a 96" gear to add your name to the perpetual 
Chooka trophy, named after Daniel Ceccini Sr. who held the 4 lap record 
for several years. Bring your track bike with a 96" gear (50:14) and 
minimum crank length 165mm. The Brunswick clubrooms are located in 
Roberts reserve, adjacent to the Brunswick outdoor velodrome, Harrison 
St. Brunswick (Melways 30 B5). More: 
http://brunswickcyclingclub.com/displaypage.php?f=Library/2008/rollerderby_06.html

Lysterfield Working Bee - 12/13 July
Do you ride at Lysterfield Park? Want to assist in ongoing trail 
maintenance? There is a Working Bee with Parks Vic planned for the 
weekend of 12th / 13th July. Either Saturday or Sunday is planned for at 
this stage, although please indicate which day suits you better. Contact 
Steve: 0439 600 350 e: frm125_steveATyahoo.com.au

Next Geelong Full Moon Bike Ride - Friday 18th July
 From David: I hereby proclaim that it is time to tune your bell and 
stretch the elastic band protecting one's trouser leg. Geelong's next 
Full Moon Ride approaches rapidly. Friday the 18th July, the Full Moon 
will rise at 5.12pm. We meet at 6.30pm at Cafe 9 Zero 90 Pakington ST, 
Geelong West, and partake in a splendid ride along Geelong Foreshore, 
Gardens and the Point Henry Peninsula. We dine at a communal BBQ dinner 
& dessert at different locations. It is all very civilised and orderly 
with no riff-raff dallying about. For further details consult: 
www.myspace.com/fullmoonbikeridesgeelong

13. Cycling in the News

The Age: Travelling the green road
Faced with soaring fuel costs and growing concern for the environment, 
some commuters are swapping cars for bikes, trains and even feet.
http://www.theage.com.au/environment/travelling-the-green-road-20080624-2wb5.html

The Age: Saving fuel and firming our buttocks
Bring on the price rise. I know that I'm supposed to be worried about 
petrol going up, but something about the hysterical predictions that 
we'll be paying $2 a litre for it by the end of the year has been 
strangely exhilarating. It's like a great, big penny has finally dropped.
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/saving-fuel-and-firming-our-buttocks-20080620-2u4j.html

-- 

Yarra Bicycle Users Group Inc.
PO Box 253
Clifton Hill VIC 3068
http://www.yarrabug.org
______________________________________
Abbotsford, Alphington, Burnley, Carlton North,
Clifton Hill, Cremorne, Collingwood, Fairfield,
Fitzroy, Fitzroy North, Princes Hill, Richmond
______________________________________