GREEN Gold Coast LIGHT RAIL Hwy
$112 million Federal pledge triggers fast-tracked development of tram line extension to Burleigh Heads
AN early election funding pledge by the Federal Government has added steam to a plan to extend the Gold Coast’s light rail network south to Burleigh Heads. Construction is set to start as early as next year and trams are scheduled to start in 2021. But business owners in the south plan to fight the extension after being spooked by businesses in the northern Gold Coast who were pushed to the wall by disruptions during construction.
PASSENGERS will be boarding the Burleigh light rail line as early as 2021, with construction starting next year.
The news comes after revelations the Morrison Government will pledge $112 million in the next financial year to the project.
It is expected to match that in the 2020-21 financial year, making up its 30 per cent contribution to the $660 million bid.
All three tiers of government have fasttracked funds to ensure the third stage is built a year ahead of schedule.
Gold Coast City Council yesterday said it “stood ready” with $66-72.6 million, or 10-11 per cent of the project’s total cost.
Both the State Government and the council said they were rapidly working to complete their $10 million business case study, which would provide final costings.
“We stand ready once the business case is finalised,” Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate told the Bulletin from Taiwan.
Plans are now in place for city councillors to vote to approve the funding and fast-track construction as soon as the business case is released before Christmas.
Previously released estimates suggested the 6.4km extension wouldn’t begin construction until 2020 at the earliest and would not be completed until early 2023.
Sources close to the discussions say McPherson MP Karen Andrews played a major behindthe-scenes role in securing the funding and lobbying then-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.
Mr Turnbull signed off on the project – part of a $7.6 billion roads and rail package the Coalition will take to the next election – just days before he was replaced by Scott Morrison.
Mr Morrison’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
Federal Labor is yet to commit to matching the Coalition’s funding but Gold Coast-based Senator Murray Watt said he wanted the upgrade to begin as soon as possible.
A video released yesterday by the Department of Transport shows eight stops along the new route as well as the potential for two western spur lines – to Robina and Varsity Lakes – which would split off at Miami and Burleigh Heads.
IT is great news that the Gold Coast is one step closer to realising the $660 million third stage of the light rail.
The project is crucial infrastructure for the city as it finds solutions to combat its biggest blight, gridlock.
All three tiers of government have agreed to fast-track funds to build the line to Burleigh up to a year ahead of schedule. However, like then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s pledge in April to spend $1 billion to upgrade the M1, it has taken a major contribution from the Federal Government to get the wheels rolling. We look forward to the rest following soon.