The sight of illegal electric bikes performing dangerous stunts like wheelies on freeways and through busy city centres might not immediately bring to mind former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce. Yet, a peculiar and somewhat baffling connection exists between the proliferation of these powerful e-bikes on Australian roads and a seemingly obscure policy change made during his tenure.
The “Bike Life” movement, which often incorporates group rides and stunts, has faced criticism due to the reckless behaviour exhibited by some participants on these e-bikes. Just recently, a group of women on a historical walking tour in Wollongong were subjected to harassment by teenagers riding e-bikes. Earlier this year, police publicly condemned an e-bike meet-up where a group performed wheelies while joyriding across the Sydney Harbour Bridge, a scene mirrored in social media videos from Melbourne’s streets.
This raises critical questions: How did e-bikes become so ubiquitous on our roads? What are the consequences of their widespread use? And what role did politicians play in this unfolding situation?
The Alarming Rise in E-Bike Related Injuries
The surge in powerful, high-speed e-bikes, which are legal to sell but often illegal to use on public roads, has led to a significant increase in injuries and fatalities. Peter Bourke, CEO of Bicycle Industries Australia, describes them as “unroadworthy motorbikes.”
- Victorian Emergency Departments: Since 2020, there has been a staggering rise of over 400 per cent in individuals presenting at Victorian emergency departments with e-bike related injuries.
- Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital: A similar upward trend in injuries was reported by Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital between 2023 and 2025.
- Traumatic Brain Injuries: A 2025 study involving over 700 young riders aged 10–25 revealed that e-bike riders were twice as likely to sustain traumatic brain injuries compared to those riding regular bicycles.
Simon Judkins, an emergency physician and the Victorian AMA President, highlights the ongoing challenge: “The rules are really still trying to catch up. In the meantime, we’re seeing more and more people having pretty tragic injuries. People don’t really take them as seriously as they should. They still see them as bicycles, not motorbikes, so they don’t treat them with the same amount of respect.” While the injury figures are concerning, the precise analysis is complicated by the difficulty in determining the compliance and safety standards of the e-bikes involved.
Soaring E-Bike Sales Amidst Regulatory Loopholes
The sales figures for e-bikes paint a picture of rapid market growth. Sales have escalated from approximately 9,000 units annually in 2017 to an estimated 200,000 in 2022, with projections of around 300,000 sales for the current year.
However, Mr. Bourke of Bicycle Industries Australia points out that the removal of import regulations has skewed the data. “One of the challenges is that the hospital data doesn’t identify — was the bike safe? Was the bike compliant? Or was it really an non-compliant motorbike?” This crucial information often only surfaces in the tragic event of a fatality.
- High-Speed Incidents: In nearly every fatal incident, the e-bikes involved were capable of speeds ranging from 50 to 100 kilometres per hour.
- Tragic Fatalities:
- In April of this year, a 15-year-old Victorian boy died after being thrown from an unregistered electric motorbike following a collision with two cars. He was not wearing a helmet.
- Last year, the death of a 41-year-old Melbourne e-bike rider in a collision prompted a coroner to recommend mandatory e-bike registration in Victoria. This recommendation was ultimately rejected due to concerns about cost, enforcement difficulties, and potential discouragement of cycling.
The Mysterious Policy Shift: A Legacy of Barnaby Joyce’s Era
The underlying reasons for the initial policy changes remain largely a mystery. In 2021, when Barnaby Joyce served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport, his assistant minister, Kevin Hogan, enacted a seemingly minor but profoundly impactful alteration to the Road Vehicle Standards Act. This change removed the requirement for e-bikes to meet European safety standards, effectively creating a five-year period of unregulated importation for high-powered, non-compliant e-bikes that are now prevalent on our roads.
Despite numerous attempts by the ABC, neither Mr. Joyce nor Mr. Hogan have provided an explanation for this decision. Furthermore, individuals who were consulted at the time of the change appear to have no clear understanding of its rationale.
How Did This Happen Without Parliament’s Knowledge?
The changes to road vehicle standards were considered so insignificant in 2021 that they were never debated in parliament. Instead, the government issued an explanatory memorandum that characterised the changes as being of a “relatively minor nature” with “minimal regulatory impact.”
Under the “consultation” section of the memorandum, it was stated that the proposal had been presented to the Strategic Vehicle Safety and Environment Group, a body comprising road transport industry representatives and state and territory government officials. The document noted that “no objections were raised to the proposed changes during the consultation.”
Crucially, it appears that no entities with direct ties to cycling manufacturers or retailers were consulted. Bicycle Industries Australia, for instance, only became aware of the change four months after it had been implemented.
The memorandum listed consultations with various organisations, including:
- The Australian Trucking Association
- The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries
- The Australian Automobile Association
- The National Transport Commission
- The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator
- The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman
- The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
- The Treasury
- The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
The Chamber of Automotive Industries stated that it “made no written submissions on the matter, nor does the CEO have a recollection of dealing with the issue.” A spokesperson for the Australian Trucking Association indicated that their representative likely reviewed the draft but deemed other group members better positioned to provide feedback. The Motor Trades Association of Australia (MTAA) considered e-bikes to be outside its primary focus, viewing them as bicycles and regulating them as such, which explains the lack of concern flagged during the consultation.
However, Peter Jones, Interim Executive Director of the MTAA, acknowledged to the ABC that the rapid growth of online e-bike imports has created unforeseen challenges for regulators. “Reputable Australian dealers are complying with regulations, while offshore suppliers are often operating outside those guidelines,” he commented. “Without stronger national coordination around compliance and enforcement, safety risks will continue to increase, while legitimate operators work with a significant commercial disadvantage.” Other organisations, such as the Australian Automobile Association, did not respond to inquiries.
The Unanswered Question: What Was the Objective?
In the absence of direct statements from Mr. Joyce or Mr. Hogan, Mr. Bourke can only surmise the original intent behind these changes. “We believe what led to the changes in 2021 was a desire to reduce red tape, open up the market and make it easier to import products,” he speculated. “But we’ve never been able to find that answer. We wrote to the minister several times. The department has simply said – ‘You were not part of the conversation’.”
While the Albanese government has reintroduced import standards at the end of 2025, partially closing this regulatory gap, Mr. Bourke cautions that it doesn’t completely solve the problem. The process for demonstrating that an imported e-bike meets safety requirements remains voluntary. He stresses that it should be mandatory, as “companies are still bringing products into the country that do not meet that standard. And unfortunately, once they’re here, that’s a real challenge for the community and a real challenge for the police.”
