Article: Lord Mayor Quirk talks up bikeways grand plan

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Lord Mayor Quirk talks up bikeways grand plan

Lord Mayor Quirk talks up bikeways grand plan
Tony Moore
April 15, 2012 - 1:09PM

Spending on Brisbane bikeways will increase to $120 million over the next four years, Lord Mayor Graham Quirk has pledged as part of his re-election bid.

Cr Quirk said he wanted to develop a ''bikeway commuter network'' in eight high-employment areas rather than in established ''recreation'' areas.

At his re-election campaign launch at Doomben Raceway this morning, attended by Premier Campbell Newman, Cr Quirk also promised to set aside $10 million for sporting clubs to help keep their sign-on fees low.

The promise ties in with the LNP's push at the state and federal levels to position themselves as tackling rising living costs.

The $10 million will include grants to help clubs set up electricity or water-saving devices, such as solar panels and water-efficient playing field irrigation.

While clubs would have to pay for at least 25 per cent of these cost-savings projects, Cr Quirk said the council money would go a long way toward helping Brisbane's 1000-odd sporting organisations.

''It's about an attempt to get down the annual costs of operation for sporting clubs,'' he said.

''So it will allow them to get on and undertake things from water irrigation, it could be power cost-savings measures, but those things which cost clubs on an ongoing basis.''

Newman, meantime, told Cr Quirk's re-election breakfast that his government would work quickly on linking the Brisbane City Council's City Cycle scheme to the Go Card network.

Mr Newman also said that South Bank - now overseen by the South Bank Corporation - would in the future have its planning controls set by Brisbane City Council.

And he promised quick action on the redevelopment of Howard Smith Wharves - the parkland under the Story Bridge - rejected by the Labor state government because the site flooded in January 2011.

However Cr Quirk - who was Mr Newman's deputy at Brisbane City Council - saved his biggest push this morning for a more diverse bikeways future for Brisbane.

''Over the last four years, we quadrupled our spending on bikeways from $25 million to $100 million,'' Cr Quirk said.

''Well today, I want to announce that we are going to continue to activate the bikeways of this city.

''Not just recreationally, but more importantly to do those more difficult sections of bikeway.''

Under the scheme, bikeways would be either built or expanded in eight zones, including: along the Australia Trade Coast; at Toowong Indooroopilly and St Lucia; in Nudgee, Banyo and Boondall, near Chermside; between Rocklea, Darra, Oxley, Inala and Richlands; in the central city and Fortitude Valley; at Griffith University and Mt Gravatt and in South Brisbane and Woolloongabba.

Brisbane now had around 1100 kilometres of bikeways, he said, some funded partly by the State Government.

''Now that we've laid a solid foundation reconnecting Brisbane's suburbs with bikeways my team will switch our focus on ensuring commuters have easy access to major regional employment hubs and suburban shopping strips.''

He said Brisbane needed to recognise that there were now more bikes sold in Australia than motor vehicles.

''It's about creating ''off-road'' opportunities for journeys to work, as well as recreational bikeways in Brisbane.''

Cr Quirk also described many of the policies he has already announced during his re-election campaign.

He said his ''Team Quirk'' - with its own campaign jingle - had a clear vision for Brisbane.

''It's about getting on and addressing traffic congestion; it's about continuing to deal with the issues of flood recovery; its about making Brisbane the cleanest, greenest city in Australia, and it's about making our city a more inclusive and accessible city.

''And that recognises that one in four of our residents were born overseas; that one in six speak a language other than English when they go home at night, and that 6 per cent have a severe or profound disability.'

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/lord-mayor-quirk-talks-up-bikeways-grand-plan-20120415-1x0zx.html