Rail plan ‘on wrong track’

A PALM Beach woman is calling on the State Government to investigate alternate routes for the proposed southern stretch of the Gold Coast Light Rail. Karen Rowles’s petition, with 357 signatures, was tabled in State Parliament yesterday. “Queensland residents draw to the attention of the House a route proposal for light rail that would follow the Gold Coast Highway through Burleigh and subsequently onto Palm Beach,” the petition reads. “There has been very limited local community consultation by Gold Coast City Council with Southern Gold Coast residents who will be directly affected by this proposed route. “Parking on both sides of the highway would be removed and there would be a negative impact upon all those who live along or near the Gold Coast Highway as well as many of the now thriving local small businesses.” Ms Rowles goes on to claim the light rail would be harmful to the Burleigh koala population and to Burleigh headland, a significant site for Aboriginal people. “Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to direct the feasibility study to investigate alternative routes for the Light Rail to head South and not the Gold Coast Highway route alone,” the petition reads.