Tram extension to hit bumps in road
THE Stage 3 light rail extension to Coolangatta will be a slow train coming with the project needing to overcome some significant political and practical challenges.
Planning documents suggest construction of the 6.4km extension from Broadbeach to Burleigh Heads in Stage 3A will start in 2020 at the earliest and not be completed until 2023.
Council and State Government insiders estimate a build of between 18 months to three years.
Stage 3B through to Coolangatta Airport cannot commence until at least 2024 when work finishes on the six-laning of the Pacific Motorway from Varsity Lakes to Tugun, allowing the M1 to take extra traffic from the disrupted Gold Coast highway.
A Golden Age survey undertaken by the Bulletin found 82 per cent of respondents supported a tram extension, and 79 per cent want it to be to the airport. At least 65 per cent wanted that extension within three years.
A political insider told the Bulletin: “People think it will be quick. Stage Two (to Helensvale) was done in fairly quick time due to the Commonwealth Games. With Stage Three, we have to do 21kms of rail to get to the airport and it’s got to be done in two sections.”
A council source said: “All our focus is on Stage 3A. Going from Burleigh over the hill to Palm Beach is a long way off. (Burleigh MP) Michael Hart and (Currumbin MP) Jann Stuckey are adamant it’s not going that way. There has to be mega case to get over the hill.”
Light rail planners see the following critical steps for Stages 3A and 3B to be completed:
Council and the State Government must complete a detailed business case for Stage 3A by the end of this year.
The $670.5 million project must be shown to be economically viable.
The State Government will complete a tougher round of community consultation than council and the results must be strongly positive.
All three levels of government in 2019 must reach agreement on funding which sees the State pay for most of it followed by the Commonwealth and council.
A draft preliminary business plan confirms Stage 3 A will have up to eight new light rail stations and five new light rail vehicles, include a light rail-bus interchange at Burleigh Heads and three new signalised traffic intersections.
The plan estimates travel time savings of 10,387 hours per day and more than 8,000 car trips removed from the road network, providing a $273 million economic benefit.
Public transport usage will increase by more than 25,000 extra public transport trips per day with the economy receiving a $1.2 billion boost.
The project would create approximately 2,400 jobs during the construction phase and 39 additional positions during operation.
A council report said the corridor vision would include intensified development around the rail stations while “respecting the prominent natural features” of the southern coast including its network of green spaces.
Stage 3B faces more challenges in terms of engineering with bridges and potential property buy-ups along the Gold Coast Highway.
It has also split opinion, with opponents demanding the line goes west to Varsity Lakes Train Station rather than south to the airport through Palm Beach.
Views are also split among business owners – while most welcome the idea of trams reaching Burleigh, they also fear the impact of disruption during its construction.
Ryan Leader, the owner of Slice Pizzeria in Burleigh Heads, said there was a fine line between the pros and cons of the light rail.
“It will be good for business if it goes right down the highway,” he said.
“But they have to do it properly – that way everyone will benefit.”
He said while many people complain there will be less parking spaces, there would be more foot traffic.
“People are scared of change, but change is good. We need to move forward and adapt,” he said.
Jake Noble-Ellett from Hot Stuff Surf is among those who would like to see the proposed route changed.
“I think it should go west, all the roads are already hectic,” he said. “It seems really impractical – it’ll be crap, especially while they’re building it. Nobody will be able to get product in their shops.”