TOOT, TOOT – OUT OF THE WAY, YOU ANTILIGHT RAIL WAILERS

DEMOCRACY is a wonderful thing but, as a society, we cannot let the truth become a casualty of any debate.

The latest pushback from the anti-light rail brigade has left the truth at the station platform.

Here’s a fact. Light rail was first discussed in the city’s public transport plan of 1998. It was listed, along with other proposed transport modes including rapid buses and even monorail.

In 2011, as a mayoral candidate, I actually lobbied for rapid buses over light rail. I won the mayoralty in 2012, but by then light rail was the chosen transport mode and stage one was being built. So I got on board.

Our city’s modern transport plan shows the critical role light rail will play, linking heavy rail at Helensvale with light rail all the way to the airport.

My message to the antilight rail protesters is: where were you in 2010? It is foolhardy to now be protesting a project that got the green light more than a decade ago.

Here’s another fact. Since 1983, height limits in Palm Beach have not changed.

What is occurring now is that the owners of the key blocks of land along the Gold Coast Highway through Palm Beach are exercising their legal right to build on them.

Way back in 1983 they could have built to the same height as today, but they didn’t as Palm Beach had a poor reputation, was famous for the needle exchange and was seen as a dead-beat end of the coast. House prices were mid 300s if you could even find a buyer. Fast forward to today and it’s the hottest property area going with house prices soaring.

The anti-everything light rail brigade will try to convince people that the light rail has magically created new height limits for Palm Beach. Incorrect. Almost two years ago, this council actually reduced height limits along Jefferson Lane (by 50 per cent lower).

What annoys me is how the anti-light railers publicly state “we aren’t anti-light rail’’ and then comment “we just don’t want it along the Gold Coast Highway’’. They are quick to claim that hydro buses or electric buses are a much better option.

Firstly, that would mean commuters having to change from one public transport mode to another and, secondly, hydro buses or ebuses would still require their own dedicated lanes so their argument is flawed as the highway would need to be redesigned to accommodate their choice of transport.

Another ‘fact’ being promoted is that Burleigh Heads and the Koala Park area is somehow teeming with native koalas and that as soon as the light rail is constructed, these koalas are going to rush out and be killed by passing trams.

It’s just rubbish and needs to be called out. There are definitely native koalas in the area and, like the entire coast, we will do everything to ensure they enjoy their lives uninterrupted as they do now. Let’s not let the truth be a victim here. It would show great courage for the antilight railers to simply be honest and state: we don’t want the trams in any shape or form.

But they won’t do that as they know the majority of Gold Coasters support light rail. As Mayor, I’ve taken the issue to two council elections, so if the sentiment against light rail was so strong I would have been ousted.

Here are some final facts that can’t be disputed:

Light rail has recorded more than 55 million paid trips to date.

The project supports more than 200 full-time local jobs via its operations.

A staggering $700m was spent with local businesses (labour and material) during construction of stage one alone.

Stage two resulted in more than $200m spent locally with 88 per cent of workers from our great city, or the SEQ region.

I simply ask the anti-light railers to be honest and publicly state: we are against light rail full stop. They won’t as they know that will keep them in the minority.