News

Whitehorse area

We have been lobbying Whitehorse Council to improve access to the Box Hill to Ringwood path in Nunawading and Mitcham by opening access to the Harvey Norman Lane, Richards and McGlone Streets. We have met and discussed issues with officers and councillor Stennett. After years of resistance, Council has agreed to implement these openings subject to agreement with the state government authority VicTrack. Council claims VicTrack have ignored approaches, so we have enlisted the assistance of local state MP, Will Fowles, the member for Ringwood, who has lodged an enquiry with VicTrack. The matter is ongoing.

Interconnection of the proposed Healesville Freeway Reserve path with the Pipe Reserve path has been followed up by David Simm, with local state MP John Mullahy. We are also pushing for the currently missing section of the Pipe Reserve path between Springvale Road and Mahoneys Road to be constructed.

MeBUG committee member Neil Wood has been selected to join the Shaping Whitehorse Community Panel. This should provide us with an additional  forum to advocate for better cycling facilities in Whitehorse.

MeBUG president David Blom has urged Whitehorse Council to reconsider its decision not to apply for a grant under the State Government Thriving Suburbs Program. Had Council been better prepared and motivated, they could have applied for a grant of $0.5M or more, matching council contribution, for important cycling projects, such as interconnection of the Pipe Reserve and Box Hill to Ringwood paths.

Maroondah area

We provided Maroondah Council with some suggestions for its Transport Strategy 2024-25. These included the Ringwood to Ringwood East cycling connection, improvements to the Taralla Creek trail and improvements in the East Ringwood to Croydon path.

Monash area

We are pleased to note progress toward a shared state government and Council project to interconnect the Djerring trail with the Scotchmans Creek trail via an on road separated path along Atkinson Street Oakleigh. 

We are also advocating for the completion of the Waverley Rail Trail between Jordanville and Mount Waverley.

MeBUG has made a comprehensive submission to Maroondah Council as input to its Bicycle Network Review.

Read our submission

The Whitehorse Council budget for 2023/24 soon to be adopted by Council, does not contain any of the 24 projects MeBUG submitted back in October 2022. In a disappointing though predictable response, the council provides in most cases, superficial excuses for their rejection.

The only funding for cycling is a total of $363,000 for the Easy Rides project and a vague $51,000 for Bicycle facilities. Contrast this with $5.8m for sports grounds.

Committee member David Simm has developed a proposal to construct 938m of Shared User Path (SUP), creating linkages to safe, accessible and inclusive SUPs from the intersection of the Pipe Track with Norma Rd via the existing traffic lights on Springvale Rd north of Jolimont Rd south to the existing traffic lights on Springvale Rd at the intersection with the Hawthorn Rd bike lanes. The Hawthorn Rd bike lanes connect directly with the City of Whitehorse Easy Rides East-West 6 (EW6) bike routes.

The proposal will be put to Whitehorse Council and we will seek support of local state government politicians.

Read/Download the proposal

MeBUG has made a submission to Whitehorse Council regarding the proposed safety improvements to Nelson Road Box Hill. The council has engaged consultants to design a staged revamp of Nelson Road between Whitehorse Road and Severn Street Box Hill. The plan proposes a staged approach to introduce a median strip, progressively remove parking and construct bicycle lanes along both sides of Nelson Road.

While we support the ultimate goal of the plan, we believe the initial phase (Phase 1) will reduce cyclist safety by narrowing the traffic lanes. We advocate that Council skip this phase and progress to the later phases 2 and 3.

Read our submission.

MeBUG has submitted a Response to the HFR 2022 Concept Plan and Draft Map to Parks Victoria. Read our response. 

Whitehorse Council has been inviting public input via its ‘Your Say’ public engagement service on its website and by various ‘drop in ‘meetings.

MeBUG has lodged a comprehensive submission, listing 24 potential projects. We are also asking for a greater share of funding for sports and recreation, which historically has overwhelmingly gone to organised sport and sports grounds.

See our submission here

There is an online petition to provide cyclists and walkers access to another 100km of trail in metro Melbourne by providing a linking path from Healesville Freeway Reserve (HFR) to the Dandenong Creek trail. 

Healesville Freeway Reserve  is between Springvale and Boronia Roads in Forest Hill and Vermont, and is now owned by the public and being developed by Parks Victoria.

Please tell  Parks Victoria how important this link is. 

Your support on this will point carry a strong message about the importance of the link.

change.org will ask for a donation after you sign. You do not have to donate.  We do ask you to send on the link to your friends and family who  may  have an interest in this.

Following the brief submission by MeBUG on what was understood to be a pausing of bike lane roll out in the City of Melbourne, we received a comprehensive explanation from Cr Rohan Leppert. The situation is more complex than the media publicity indicated, and not as alarming as it appeared. read Cr Leppert’s explanation.

The cycling community is very concerned at the City of Melbourne considering pausing its roll out of separated bike lanes within the Hoddle Grid. Many BUGs are opposing this and making submissions to the council meeting on 7th June.

MeBUG has made a brief submission.

Here is a brief update on our activities so far this year.

Burwood Highway link

We are advocating to politicians and generally promoting the proposal for s cycling link along Burwood Highway. This 3.5 km connection will allow cyclists to ride from Knox city to the Melbourne CBD on a 32km path entirely on a dedicated safe facility. 

More details. 

Healesville Freeway Reserve

Elaine Hopper is attending the Parks Victoria meetings as a Community Reference Group member. In her submission, Elaine listed desirable features for the trail, and  also raised the concept of a bridge across the Dell. A bridge would  preserve the Dell from the construction of a trail on the ground that we believe will be more  intrusive to the vegetation and animals of the Dell and awkward for cyclists.  More details.

Box Hill Metropolitan Activity Centre

MeBUG in cooperation with Boroondara BUG and WATAG is advocating for improvements in cycling access through Box Hill, for both the east-west connection of the Box Hill to Ringwood trail and the Hawthorn to Box Hill proposed Strategic Cycling Corridor. There are serious planning issues affecting these routes, that need to be addressed. A comprehensive letter has been sent to the Victorian Premier, raising concerns and calling for action.

Melbourne Water Pipe reserve path

Melbourne Water has announced plans to renew two major water mains along the reserve, to be completed by mid 2023. This will mean that some or all of the concrete shared paths constructed by Whitehorse and Monash councils, will be dug up. Melbourne water has given assurances that the paths will be reinstated ‘like for like’ and additional landscaping and tree planting undertaken. Download Melbourne Water project brochure.

Maroondah and Monash Council areas

Committee members Shaun Ruigrok and David Simm are regularly advocating on matters involving Maroondah and Monash councils respectively. In Maroondah, focus has been on cycling paths along Greenwood Avenue Ringwood and the Brushy Creek trail. In Monash, our interests include the missing section of the Waverley Rail trail between Mount Waverley and Jordanville stations as well as improvements to the Scotchmans Creek Trail.

Finally, we are active on facebook. You can find us at  Metro East Bicycle User Group Inc

The new section of path linking the Eastlink Trail and Dandenong Creek Trail along the south side of Burwood Highway, was officially opened on 14 November. Present were MPs Shaun Leane, Jackson Taylor, Whitehorse councillors Tina Liu and Raylene Carr, MeBUG members, David Blom, David Simm, Shaun Ruigrok, Elaine Hopper and Scott Green.