Baw Baw on track to host Ride Nation

Published on 13 July 2020

Baw Baw Shire Council has endorsed a proposal to host Ride Nation, a pilot program encouraging children to participate in cycling. 

Ride Nation is facilitated by Cycling Australia and aims to create opportunities for more people to enjoy riding their bike regardless of their age, circumstance, skill level and location.

Cycling Australia established the program in early 2019, with the support of funding from Sport Australia to create a long-term strategic vision of increasing participation in cycling.

Cycling Australia approached Council in late 2019 to see if Baw Baw Shire would be interested in taking part in the Gippsland pilot.

Ride Nation identified Warragul as the preferred site for the region-wide program due to the existing infrastructure and strong community support.

The program will offer a range of events and activities across different cycling disciplines, connecting schools, community groups and bike stores throughout Gippsland.

Ride Nation pilot centres have also been successfully established in Ballarat and Wollongong, experiencing high levels of community participation.

Quotes attributable to Mayor Cr Danny Goss

“Ride Nation supports our goal of putting Baw Baw Shire on the map as a great place for cycling. Offering a range of accessible programs for riders of all ages and levels, it will help to build upon our already strong cycling culture and create new opportunities for the community to get involved.”

Quotes attributable to Deputy Mayor Cr Peter Kostos

“The overall aim of Ride Nation is to help more people to experience the joy and benefits of incorporating bike riding into everyday life. Riding safely is one of the big issues, and this program addresses this in a fun and practical way to help children learn the benefits of riding safely both on and off the road.”

Quotes attributable to Cr Michael Leaney

“Ride Nation is all about increasing participation, improving health outcomes, changing perceptions about cycling and raising its profile as an accessible activity for the community. The program will help to give parents peace of mind as their children learn to ride safely and confidently. It will also provide flow-on benefits to our local economy as people explore Baw Baw on their bikes.”

Quotes attributable to Cr Mikaela Power

“Warragul is a great place to host this fun and engaging program, and it’s fantastic that Council is in a position to be involved from the beginning. This will build on the work already underway as part of Council’s Cycling Feasibility study and will help to make cycling more accessible for our whole community.”