Machine Alley Awarded Grant Under Victoria’s "Safer Motorcycling Grant Program"

Machine Alley, the Collingwood-based DIY motorcycle workshop and social space, has been named a successful recipient of the Victorian Government’s new Safer Motorcycling Grants Program. The grant will support Machine Alley to develop a motorcycle training and safety equipment education program aimed at reducing risk among riders across the state.

What’s the Grant About?

The Safer Motorcycling Grants Program is a recently established initiative delivered by Road Safety Victoria, under the Department of Transport and Planning. It is funded through the Motorcycle Safety Levy, with a total pool of AUD $3.5 million aimed at supporting “new and innovative projects aimed at improving motorcycle safety in Victoria.”

The program supports projects across three investment themes:

1. Technology & Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS)

2. Education & Research

3. Motorcycle Policy & Law

What Machine Alley Will Do

Machine Alley’s awarded project is focused on training and safety equipment education. More specifically, the funds will help Machine Alley develop and run a program of free events that educates riders about:

• The importance of safety rated protective gear and how to choose and use it properly.

• Motorcycle maintenance, safety checks, and workshop skills relevant to keeping bikes safe on the road.

• Outreach and education to increase awareness among motorcyclists about the importance of safety gear and maintenance in reducing crash severity.

Why It Matters

1. Addressing Rider Vulnerability

   Motorcyclists are significantly overrepresented in road fatalities relative to their share of registered vehicles in Victoria. The Government has noted that while motorcycles make up a small percentage of vehicles, riders account for a disproportionately high number of road deaths.

2. Skills, Gear & Knowledge Gaps Many crashes are exacerbated by a lack of knowledge about correct maintenance, poor equipment, or unsafe practices. A community workshop like Machine Alley, with proper training and educational outreach, can help fill those gaps.

3. Empowering Riders By educating riders on safety gear and maintenance, riders become more capable of assessing and reducing risk themselves — rather than relying purely on enforcement or infrastructure changes.

4. Leveraging Community Infrastructure Machine Alley already has workshop infrastructure, toolsets, storage, and a social community of riders. The grant allows them to build on that base. This helps to ensure funds are not only spent on new structures but reinforcing existing ones.

What does this mean for you?

Machine Alley receiving a Safer Motorcycling Grant is a positive development for Victoria’s motorcycling community. It combines government investment, community infrastructure, and rider empowerment with the goal of making riding safer. The project should lead not only to better educated riders and better-maintained bikes, but potentially to fewer injuries and fatalities. A win for riders and the broader public.