Protesters ‘rewriting’ history

Mayor tells anti-tram campaigners to keep up

MAYOR Tom Tate has taken aim at anti-tram campaigners on the southern Gold Coast for trying to “rewrite history”.

Mr Tate has hit out at protesters following a rally on Saturday against Stage 4 of the light rail route going through Palm Beach.

He says the project was always intended for its proposed route through Palm Beach to the Gold Coast Airport.

Mr Tate went a step further, asking where were these protesters in 2009 when Stage 1 was funded and future stages were announced.

“Some people seem to think they can rewrite history. History shows the project was announced in 2009 and at that time, it was made clear by all three levels of government that it was being built all the way to the airport,” Mr Tate said.

“If people wanted to protest about it going through Palm Beach, that was their chance in 2009. I don’t recall a small minority from Palm Beach at the time protesting in 2009.

“Democracy is great and everyone has the right to protest but my message is: it has always been a single project, simply being delivered in stages so all three levels of government can budget accordingly.”

Anti-tram campaigner and southern Gold Coast resident Karen Rowles hit back though, saying there was limited protest activity in 2009 because “residents did not have a crystal ball.”

“In 2009 no one knew – including Mr Tate and Mr Bailey (Transport Minister Mark Bailey) – how much it would cost, how much destruction it would cause along the Gold Coast Highway and how much it would impact residents,” she said.

Ms Rowles questioned how ratepayers could support the project when “our own Mayor has backflipped on supporting it several times”.

She made reference to a 2012 Gold Coast Bulletin article in which Mr Tate made a “triple somersault on the light rail” while vying for the top job during that year’s election.

In that article, Mr Tate was reportedly opposed to the project, then in favour of it and calling for an extension to the airport. The following day he made calls for a moratorium and a rapid bus transit system to take its place. But on Tuesday, Mr Tate had no qualms about admitting to his initial feelings on the light rail.

“I was a business operator in Surfers Paradise when light rail Stage 1 was being built. I lost vehicle access to a key driveway at my property and at the time, I was publicly vocal against light rail,” he said.

“Now, knowing the huge benefits it is delivering through record passengers numbers, I have accepted it is the best public transport mode all the way to the airport and Coolangatta.”

Mr Tate said the Gold Coast was a “linear city and the vast majority of our population lives close to the coastline” but additional “spur lines feeding east and west off light rail” would provide “incredible transport connectivity”. However Ms Rowles, who did not organise Saturday’s protest, said people were being “forced on trams” and reported patronage numbers were a result of more bus services being off the road.

“The trams are running at a third of what they are capable of user-wise, even during the Commonwealth Games they were abysmal,” she said.

“The light rail is not the remarkable solution Mr Tate and Mr Bailey are drumming up.”