News from the board - February 2008

12 February 2008

At last years Bicycle NSW AGM, one such issue was a desire for better communication between the board and Bicycle NSW members.

This column is part of our response to that issue. It will appear each month in PushOn and will also be placed on the Bicycle NSW website.

The election process - constitutional reform

In the context of a changing organisation and given the opportunities to be more inclusive through the use of technology, it is felt that the Bicycle NSW election process has become outdated and inappropriate.

Changes to our election system will require changes to our constitution, and the Board has formed a sub-committee to start this process. We have already had some interest from members about participating in the review and will be seeking your feedback once we are clearer about the areas for reform.

BUGs Committee

As major stakeholders, BUGs are in a position to make a significant contribution to policy development at Bicycle NSW. The formation of the BUGs Committee, chaired by Vice President Andrew Dodds, has provided a clear means by which their voices can be heard at the Board level.

The Committee is developing terms of reference to provide a clearer definition of BUGs and their relationship to BNSW. The committee will also allow BUGs to have a more direct and formal line of communication with the Board, allowing YOU to have more say in the direction of YOUR peak cycling organisation.

You can find more information on the BNSW website at http://www.bicyclensw.org.au/Whatisabug.asp

Change in Board Membership

We were saddened by John Holstein’s resignation from the Board in November. Thank you to John for his contribution to BNSW during 2007.

As a result of this resignation and with the intention of broadening its range of skills and experience, the Board has appointed Dave McGrath to the casual vacancy. Dave is the Head of Big Pond Sport at Telstra and will be able to make a significant contribution to developing our “Mainstreaming Cycling“ strategies, particularly in the increasingly important on-line world.

BFA update

The formation of the Bicycle Coalition in September last year provided the platform for Bicycle NSW to make significant progress in getting more people riding more often - with NSW registrations for 2007 National Ride to Work day up 500% compared to 2006. This success, along with rapidly evolving external agendas, has led the Board to make a decision not to renew our membership of the BFA for 2008.

Some members will be aware that our CEO Alex Unwin was elected to the role of Vice President of the Management Committee of the BFA at their AGM in November last year. We support Alex in his continuing engagement with the BFA and we are keen for them to be involved in the important conversations we propose going forward.

The Board has not ruled out the possibility of rejoining the BFA at some future date.

Finally…

We welcome the opportunity to have more frequent input and discussion with our members in 2008. We will endeavour to address your concerns, comments and feedback through president@bicyclensw.org.au

Please remember, the board exists to ensure that Bicycle NSW is well managed – we are not directly involved in day-to-day operations. You can find more information about the role we play at www.bicyclensw.org.au/BicycleNSWBoard.asp