ONE TRACK MIND
Tram to go through Palm Beach to airport
THE State Government will end years of debate today by announcing the last stage of the light rail will run along the coast to the airport.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will also unveil other key projects such as the completion of further sections of the Oceanway and new pedestrian and light rail bridges over Tallebudgera Creek.
THE State Government will end years of debate today by announcing the last stage of the light rail will run along the coast to the airport.
A two-year study by international consulting firm Jacobs Engineering has found the controversial coastal route from Burleigh through Palm Beach is the preferred option to complete the tram system’s north-south link.
The State Government-commissioned study supports several other major projects, including:
An oceanway pedestrian path along the beachfront.
An animal crossing overpass between the headland and Burleigh National Park.
New pedestrian and light rail bridges over Tallebudgera Creek.
Transport Minister Mark Bailey said the study’s results showed a direct route down the Gold Coast Hwy to the airport at Coolangatta was the best way forward.
Other routes considered in the study included a line west to connect with heavy rail at Varsity Lakes and south through Palm Beach’s suburban streets. The coastal line was selected because it would be cheaper to build than other routes and deliver the most economic uplift, the Government said.
“The conversation about the southern Gold Coast light rail extension from Burleigh to the Gold Coast Airport needs to start now,” Mr Bailey said.
“A two-year study has identified the Gold Coast Hwy between Burleigh and the airport as the most logical route for that future stage of light rail.
“The study concludes that route will best support local transport needs as well as jobs and economic development on the Southern Gold Coast.
“Now it’s time for us to hear what the people of the Gold Coast have to say, so they can help us plan the next major projects that will support local jobs and better connect the Coast.”
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will unveil the study’s results this morning but the Government is yet to commit to funding the link, which will also require significant contributions from the Federal Government and Gold Coast City Council.
A timeline is yet to be proposed, but work is expected to begin once the $709 million Stage 3A from Broadbeach to Burleigh Heads is completed.
Early works and surveying is already under way with major construction set to begin later this year. It is scheduled to be running in 2023.
Some resumptions are expected to occur as part of construction for Stage 3B, but the size and scope of this will not be known until a detailed business case is completed.
The study also suggests the completion of the $1 billion M1 upgrade between Varsity Lakes and Tugun, which includes new service roads, would reduce traffic on the Gold Coast Hwy.
Community consultation will begin later this month on the proposed route.
Ms Palaszczuk said the Gold Coast was a “global city” that could not afford to lose momentum as it grows.
“We are building better transport for residents and planning so that the Gold Coast’s transport network evolves to meet the demands of the future,” she said.
“I want the southern Gold Coast to benefit from light rail just as the northern Gold Coast has.
“Connecting light rail to the airport is also really important for a 2032 Olympics bid.”
Currumbin Labor candidate Kaylee Campradt urged residents to take part in the community consultation.
“The voices of local people must be heard when it comes to future transport planning,” she said.
“On the southern Coast, we need to always make sure the Government listens to us about how we best improve our roads, rail and walkways so we can have more time with our families doing the things we love.”
The light rail’s southern extension has proved highly contentious, receiving strong opposition from area councillor Daphne McDonald and some Palm Beach residents who fear the potential for increased development in the area.
WE ARE BUILDING BETTER TRANSPORT FOR RESIDENTS AND PLANNING SO THAT THE GOLD COAST’S TRANSPORT NETWORK EVOLVES TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF THE FUTURE PREMIER ANNASTACIA PALASZCZUK
Burleigh MP Michael Hart has advocated for the trams to turn west from Burleigh Heads and link up with heavy rail.
Mayor Tom Tate has staunchly backed the coastal route and previously warned it would run express through Palm Beach without stations if some residents continued to oppose it.
Cr Tate yesterday said: “This is great news confirming what we already knew and what the community has told us they want. Congratulations to the State Government for undertaking this work now so that detailed planning can get under way as soon as possible.
“I look forward to all tiers of government working together again, to get us all the way to the Gold Coast Airport.”
Gold Coast Light Rail Business Advisory Group chairman Stephen Harrison said he was excited by several of the Government’s proposals, including the Oceanway expansion.
The Oceanway runs along the foreshore between Main
Beach and Bilinga, but several gaps remain where no concrete path has been built – including parts of Palm Beach and Currumbin.
“For the first time in the Gold Coast’s history we will have a transport network which works and this will comprehensively address the current transport requirements as well as cater for growth,” Mr Harrison said.
“This is a really exciting opportunity and the Oceanway will be tremendous to have it completed through the south.
“Will there be opposition to this? Yes, but this will mostly be from private land owners.”
SUPPORTERS of the plan to take light rail down the Gold Coast Hwy from Burleigh to the airport will not be surprised to learn today that a two-year study has backed the route.
It can be expected though that people opposed to a tram line running through the heart of Palm Beach will be particularly vocal in the coming few weeks as Gold Coasters prepare to vote in a council election. The issue can also be expected to be hotly debated as part of the Currumbin by-election, being held on the same day – and to spill over into the state election in October.
Transport Minister Mark Bailey is well aware of the passions generated by the light rail route and tower development at Palm Beach. “The conversation about the Gold Coast light rail extension ... to the airport needs to start now,” he told the Bulletin for our exclusive report on the study. “Now it’s time for us to hear what the people of the Gold Coast have to say...”
But the conversation has been underway for a considerable period, with supporters and opponents facing off well in advance of this year’s elections. Burleigh MP Michael Hart has long advocated the route heading west from Burleigh to the Varsity Lakes station, and for heavy rail to be extended from there to the airport. Local councillor Daphne McDonald has opposed light rail through Palm Beach.
But previous surveys have shown strong support across the city for a direct route south from Burleigh. We understand the latest study looked closely at the heavy rail link and alternatives through Palm Beach, but concluded the cost of those was prohibitive.
There is little doubt that without a proper and efficient public transport system being completed, the city will grind to a halt. The Premier has warned the population will double by 2050 – just 30 years away. But well before that is the strong possibility of southeast Queensland hosting an Olympics in 2032. Like it or not, a successful bid would mean our city is very much involved. That leaves just 12 years to have a fast and efficient people mover operating the length of the city as an alternative to the M1 and, we hope by then, a second major motorway linking the Glitter Strip to its northern suburbs and Brisbane.
Mr Bailey and the council have to show Palm Beach and Currumbin residents how the light rail will work for their benefit, along with completion of M1 upgrades that the study says will relieve pressure on Gold Coast Hwy traffic and as a result, create opportunities for pedestrian and bikefriendly boulevards in those suburbs.