Balloon up on pedal power

By Kath Gannaway
YARRA Ranges council staff pushed pedal-power last week when they joined thousands of fellow Victorians for National Ride to Work Day.
Council staff, not all of them regular riders, departed from Yarra Junction, Healesville, Kilsyth and Nunawading.
Organiser Emma Campbell said the event was a great opportunity for people to leave their car at home and join fellow workers for a bit of camaraderie and exercise while at the same time helping the environment.
One of the issues about taking the enviro-friendly mode of transport is just how safe it is to take to the roads.
Riders coming in from Yarra Junction enjoyed not only the even grade of the Warburton-Lilydale Rail Trail but the reassurance of not having to compete for space with trucks and cars.
Simon Woodland and David Blair, both from the shire’s Environment Department, were less fortunate.
The pair went the long way to work through Yarra Glen to avoid what Mr Blair said was just too risky an alternative – Maroondah Highway.
Mr Blair has long been a proponent of establishing a rail-trail from Healesville to Lilydale.
“This is about raising awareness of the benefits of bike riding and it’s also raising awareness that there is simply not a safe riding road between Healesville and Lilydale.
“If I do ride home from Lilydale I go along the Warburton Trail and over Panton Gap rather than take my chances on the highway,” he said.
“I would love to ride to work regularly but with a young family I’m just not prepared to take the risk.”
The sums are not in as yet on just how much the combined pedal-power of the Shire of Yarra Ranges effort saved in greenhouse gas emissions but Ms Campbell said it is estimated that for every 10 kilometres travelled on bike, 3.12kg of emissions is saved.
“That’s about 62 of the black balloons featured in the State Government’s greenhouse gas campaign,” Ms Campbell clarified.