INCREASED FOCUS ON LIGHT RAIL WELCOME
IT doesn’t take a study illustrating it for people to understand that having to chop and change at public transport stations is a turn off for potential users. It just adds a step of complication. Updates on the coming Cross River Rail project, opening in 2025, show a direct airtrain from the Gold Coast to Brisbane’s airport will be no more.
It has prompted the Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate alongside Queensland state government Transport Minister Mark Bailey to underline how critical it will be to extend the Gold Coast light rail to the airport at Coolangatta.
You will have already read it but these are lines from the Mayor that are worth reinforcing: “Studies show that people take up public transport in greater numbers when the transport mode is seamless. There is no doubt that losing the direct Brisbane airport option will impact passenger numbers.
“Light rail Stage 4 will complete the seamless transport mode for Gold Coasters, from Helensvale to the airport and Coolangatta. That’s how a modern city’s transport network should operate and I again urge the state and federal governments to have their funding ready so we can start Stage 4 as soon as Stage 3 is completed in 2025.”
Yes, there will continue to be debate and revelations around the cost of the extensions, in no small part exacerbated by delays and labor laws and construction material spikes along with labor costs.
But overall, the commitment is there across all three levels of government to get it to the airport – and potentially down the track past that into northern NSW.
The Gold Coast is going to tip past a million residents by 2041, possibly sooner, and transport options across all modes are going to be necessary to cater for that – not just trams.
An entire cross-nodal network of electric buses, heavy rail connectivity and trams will be essential to ensure the liveability and accessibility of the country’s tourism capital is at a level that is worthy of a world-class destination with unrivalled lifestyle.
It may not sound it at first blush but the loss of a direct link from the Gold Coast to Brisbane’s gateway may well be a blessing. Mr Bailey could not have been more effusive in Parliament this week about the city’s light rail network and extending it.
Discussions will continue around the proposed route south – but there are less questions about the absolute necessity for its end destination right to the expanded terminal of Gold Coast Airport, which has already set aside an entry and exit point.