If you read my first blog here I wrote about the lack of adequate bike parking at the Ballarat Aquatic Centre, despite the $4.5 million being spent on the centre upgrade.  I filled in a feedback form and when I received the reply that they weren't planning to put bike parking in as part of the upgrade, I followed it up and asked to speak to the Centre Manager.  I made my case as to why I thought it would be a good idea to install modern, secure bike parking.  (I also cc'ed BalBUG in my letter, as a matter of courtesy)

So, after all that, here's the result!  :)

I have since found out that many sites needing bike parking have been identified by BalBUG, the Aquatic Centre was one of them.  So if your workplace, school, shopping centre or recreational venue has no place for you to park your bike, follow it up.  Find who is responsible for infrastructure and write them a letter, phone them up, get in contact with them and tell them that in order for more people to be riding their bikes, one thing they need is good, secure parking at their destinations.

When I filled in the feedback form to the Aquatic Centre I thought no-one was aware of this stuff.  But they are, see the excerpt from the "Ballarat Bicycle Strategy" commissioned by the Ballarat Council, below.  Hospitals, schools, businesses and the Ballarat Council need to hear as many voices as possible asking for good, safe infrastructure for cyclists here in Ballarat.

Funding from government departments and philantropic trusts is crucial to BREAZE and we need help in making sure that we continue to gain such support. The BREAZE Board would like to put together a small team (4-6) people who will help BREAZE by identifying funding opportunities and preparing grant submissions. If you have previous administrative experience, we'd love you to be part of the team!