Bicycle Network Victoria: Our Organisation

Members report that bike riding provides a significant health benefit in their lives; many say they would be unlikely to reach their physical activity goals if they were unable to ride

Members are physically active to a level well beyond the minimum recommended by the government.

Looking at our society:

• Members recognise the problem our community has with diseases that are caused by inadequate physical activity
• Members think that raising the level of physical activity in the community would be a positive factor in disease prevention
• Members support strong efforts by government to increase physical activity in the community, recognising that this will bring many other benefits in addition to better community health.

High level statements

The Board of Bicycle Network Victoria recognises and values the many individual and societal benefits individual and societal benefits that come from an increased level of bike riding that come from an increased level of bike riding including a better environment, improved transport system and more friendly neighbourhoods.

In the view of the Board the strong connection between bike riding and health has not been given appropriate prominence in the high level statements made by Bicycle Network Victoria. Over 2009 the Board has been developing high level statements that confirm the link between Bicycle Network Victoria’s purpose and the resulting health benefits including:

Our visionary picture is ‘We want everyone to experience that life is better on a bike’ Our aim is to measurably grow the ‘cycling world’ through More People Cycling More Often

Our ultimate milestone is to make riding a cultural norm so we have healthy people in a healthy society.

Our application

In order to strengthen the organisation’s ability to pursue its purpose Bicycle Network Victoria is applying for formal status as a health promotion charity. This application is being reviewed by the Tax Office.

This status will allow us, among other advantages, to increase the number of revenue streams that support our purpose. For example with this status members will be able to make tax deductible donations to campaigns, programs and projects. The organisation will be able to apply to philanthropic trusts.

The strong connection between bike riding and health

The Board believes it is appropriate to reflect the strong connection with health in our formal constitutional purpose. We are determined to continue, however, the familiar priorities and activities of the organisation as well as the means by which we achieve our purpose which include working for better bicycle infrastructure, running behaviour change programs, putting on major bike riding events and providing member services and information.

The Board is asking members to approve a change in our constitution that indicates unambiguously to the wider community that by pursing More People Cycling More Often we are working towards healthier people in a healthy society.

Our legal advisers have recommended that the purpose be amended to: The purpose of the association is to promote the health of the community through the prevention and control of disease by“More People Cycling More Often”

This wording is consistent with our application to the Tax Office. We have also been recommended to make two other minor changes which are described overleaf in the Notice of special resolutions for the meeting.

Public support

The following people have written letters of support for our application to change our status to health promotion charity.
The Hon Bronwyn Pyke MLA
The Hon Kevin Andrews MP
The Hon Lindsay Tanner MP
Mark Birrell
Chairman of Infrastructure Partnerships Australia,
Cabinet Minister in the Kennett Government
Louise Baur MBBS(Hons), BSc(Med), PhD, FRACP
Professor, Discipline of Paediatrics & Child Health, University of Sydney; Director, NSW Centre for Overweight & Obesity; Consultant Paediatrician, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead
Wendy Brown
Professor – Physical Activity and Health, School of Human Movement Studies, The University of Queensland
Greg Davies
Chief Executive, Diabetes Australia Victoria
Professor Tim Olds
School of Health Sciences, Physical Education, Exercise and Sport Studies, University of South Australia
Neville Owen
Professor of Health Behaviour; Director Cancer Prevention Research Centre, The University of Queensland
Dr Chris Rissel
Director, Health Promotion Service; Associate Professor, School of Public Health, University of Sydney
Associate Professor Jo Salmon
Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research, Deakin University
Graeme Sloman
Emeritus Director of Cardiology, Royal Melbourne Hospital; Emeritus Director of Cardiology, Epworth Hospital; President, Zone I, Asian Pacific Congress of Cardiology