On Monday, a cyclist was hit by the driver of a sedan in the Canberra suburb of Melba. As RiotACT reported, the driver stopped momentarily at the scene but then left without leaving their details or rendering assistance. ACT Policing are asking for anyone who might have witnessed the incident to come forward to help with their investigation.
A man in Perth has posted footage to social media of an incident in which he was knocked from his bike by an aggressive magpie. Daily Mail Australia reported that the man was riding along the Great Northern Highway when he was chased for some distance by the bird before losing his balance and crashing to the ground. Speaking with a manager at the South Australian Department of Environment, Daily Mail reported that magpies had started to swoop early this year due to warmer weather. The department’s spokesperson anticipated that this year’s swooping season could be particularly long.
Activists in the border towns of Echuca and Moama are encouraging locals to leave their cars at home and cycle for short everyday trips like going to the gym or the supermarket. The Riverine Herald spoke with the local Active Transport Echuca East Group about their participation in a national campaign inspired by the ABC TV program Fight for Planet A. The Park it for the Planet campaign is asking people to consider cycling instead of driving for the many 5km or less journeys that make up a large proportion of trips around towns and cities.
Lobby group Bicycle Network is on board with the campaign. In a statement, the group said so far the Park it for the Planet message had convinced Australians to ride more than 23,000 kilometres to reduce their carbon emissions. Collectively they say this has saved over 5 tonnes of CO2 that would otherwise have come from short trips made by car.
In other news, Coffs Harbour will be the beneficiary of $800,000 in funding from the NSW’s Streets and Shared Spaces Program. As the Bellingen Courier reported, the city will trial a ‘Green Spine’ project which will introduce green space and a separated cycleway along Harbour Drive between the main shopping district and the waterfront. As well as connecting important tourist and business locations, the cycleway will benefit several Coffs Harbour schools and the local TAFE.
Pedalling for Change 