‘Stupidity on steroids’

Burleigh light rail opponents step up campaign

BURLEIGH business owners have launched a campaign against plans to extend the light rail south to the airport, arguing the route would result in costly bridges and expensive property resumptions.

The action group of 20 business people and residents against the southern build have a website, stopthelightrail.com.au, and distributed flyers in the area in the hope of educating the community on the proposed development.

Former engineer Gordon Gault, who now works as an investment manager, has helped to organise the Palm Beach and Burleigh Action Group over the past month.

Mr Gault said the numbers behind the proposed extension down the Gold Coast Hwy, stage 3b, simply don’t stack up.

“It is stupidity on steroids,” Mr Gault said.

He said the group, which will hold a public meeting later this month, believes not enough information has been made available about the project.

“The community has been told basically nothing,” Mr Gault said. “How can they say we have been consulted and can make an informed decision, when there isn’t a finished business case for 3a?”

“Last year we discovered surveyors on Burleigh esplanade who said they were looking at the light rail route, it was the most ridiculous thing we had ever heard of – where is a track 13 metres wide in operation going to fit?”

A Gold Coast City Council spokesman refuted the claims of the group.

“The brochure does not appear to be attributed to any organisation and is riddled with mistruths, too many to detail,” a council spokesman said.

From June to July 2017 the council conducted public consultation on the proposed Broadbeach-Burleigh route (3A), however the final business case is not yet completed.

“We direct mailed 72,500 homes and businesses and held 10 face-to-face public consultations,” the spokesman said.

A spokesman for Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said extensive community consultation on the build can be expected.

“Any future business case development for stage 3b would also involve extensive community consultation,” the spokesman said.