NSW eyes light rail for Tweed

THE NSW Government has put aside $1 million to investigate building a light rail from Gold Coast Airport to Tweed Heads, and then to Tweed Heads South.

The first stage would utilise the former Nerang-Tweed railway and continue through Coolangatta to Bay St, Wharf St and then Minjungbal Dr.

NSW Transport and Infrastructure Minister Andrew Constance (above) yesterday said $1 million had been allocated for the business plan.

“We will build it in NSW, we’re not prepared to sit around until 2041 while the Queensland Government works out what to do,” he said. “We know light rail works in incredible regions such as this.

“We’ve seen this in Newcastle, only last weekend we opened up light rail to the community there and it has gone nuts, and it will go nuts up here, and we want to build it in a way that it will connect to Gold Coast light rail.”

The existing Gold Coast light rail only runs from Helensvale to Broadbeach South. However, a business case is considering an expansion to Burleigh Heads and potentially to the airport.

There was a further pledge yesterday to provide more than 300 new bus services across the Tweed. New routes include direct links between the Murwillumbah and Kingscliff TAFEs and new routes for the Tweed Valley Hospital.

The changes include more than 160 additional weekly services before 7am and after 6pm, while there will be more than 50 new weekly services before 5am and 9pm.

Buses between Kingscliff and Tweed Heads West on route 601 will be doubled, while a new route will link Banora Point to the Tweed Mall and Coolangatta. Another new route will link Murwillumbah and Kingscliff on weekdays.