Page 40 - Tropic Magazine Issue 37

TROPIC • COVER STORY

Green fleet

SUSTAINABILITY
A James Cook University
initiative to repair second
hand bikes and sell them at
low cost to students has proven
extremely popular.
Words: Renee Cluff

More than 1,000 bicycles have been
restored and sold to students at James
Cook University’s (JCU) Townsville and
Cairns campuses since 2016 as part of
a sustainability initiative by TropEco.
The award-winning Green Bike Fleet
program has involved the establishment Another major benefit is that keen including one in New Orleans recently
of mechanical workshops at each students can get part time work as who we shared our systems with, plus
campus, which roll out convenient, bike mechanics. the larger universities down south are
environmentally-friendly transport Both students and staff are encouraged looking to replicate what we are doing.
options that are affordable. In fact, to travel to campus by bicycle and JCU The JCU Green Bike Fleet project is
each restored bike goes for just $50. TropEco makes it easier for them in more a collaboration between James Cook
Unsurprisingly, they get snapped up ways than one. “We have authorised International, TropEco and the Bicycle
quicky at the start of each semester. lockup zones and access to showers and Users Group and was made possible
a sink – it can get hot in the tropics – so through the JCU Action for
students can shower and get changed Sustainability Fund.
into fresh clothes,” Brandan said.
“We’ve had a lot of interest in our
We also repair not just the program from other universities,
Green Fleet bikes but other
student bikes 48 weeks of
the year

Brandan Espe JCU BIKE RESTORATIONS
JCU Environmental
Officer 260 Cairns

JCU Environmental Officer Brandan Espe
said students from out of town are given
priority, and there is a waiting list.
“There are a few big benefits for us,”
he said. “The first is that campuses, 840 Townsville
particularly in Townsville, are quite
large and one student we tracked was
doing 12 kilometres a day, so obviously
bikes are a more efficient way to get
around,” he said. “It also means we can
have more meandering trails so a lot less
tree clearing is needed and obviously it’s
better for emissions as well as the
user’s health.”
When students complete their studies, Most of these bikes are restored multiple times
they can sell their bikes back to the
program for $20. This, coupled with JCU’s
ability to buy bulk parts cheaply, allows MORE: jcu.edu.au
for the program to often break even.

40 • Tropic • Issue 37