’100 per cent against it’ – businesses reject plans

MANY Burleigh businesses are fighting to stop the light rail stage-three plans, concerned they will suffer the same fate as once thriving businesses did in the northern corridor when construction of earlier stages of the G:link sent them broke.

Madeline Halter, who works at The Pantry Cafe on Connor St, said she was “100 per cent” against the third stage.

“It will put so many of us out of business,” she said. “There has already been talk of having to close the shop and open a pop-up shop during the construction but that will mean losing staff and having to struggle.”

Britney Gaw said there was already a reliable bus system with multiple stops along the Gold Coast Highway.

“There will be no parking, and we will get hardly any pedestrian traffic. It’s guaranteed to ruin a lot of businesses.”

Locals also don’t want to see their seaside suburb turned into a construction zone.

“It will be hell, it will cause years of disruption and people will avoid the area. I don’t see how businesses can recover from that,” said long-time Burleigh local Rae Bennett.

The Bulletin surveyed many locals with 100 per cent of people questioned saying were against the move.

Wendy Boquest, owner of Tango Gelato said “horror stories” from the northern end had terrified local businesses.

“There will be a transition period, hopefully they will protect businesses during all of it and have learned from those past mistakes. It’s a bit of an unknown how it will affect us in the long term.” they