The time for talk on tram extension is right now

THE extension of the Gold Coast light rail south to the NSW border is a project which must take shape soon. It’s a key infrastructure project not just for the 2032 Olympic Games but for the decades to follow.

This is a public transport system which will cater, not just to the locals of the current time, but those decades from now.

The latest plans, focusing on the Tugun to Coolangatta stretch of the tramline were publicly released two weeks ago and have generated a significant amount of interest from the community.

Official community consultation on the project will begin this week on the southern Gold Coast and this will provide a critical opportunity for locals to have their say and help shape the future of their suburbs.

It is clear there is plenty of discord about the project, with at least one group of people particularly loud in their criticisms.

Regardless of where you stand, now is the time to find out as much as possible about how these suburbs will change and give feedback on the plans.

There is no use complaining about not having your say once the horse has bolted.

This is a lesson Burleigh and Miami residents learned all too well when they largely ignored news of the light rail’s future route through their suburb in late 2009.

By the time the project was being funded in 2018-19, the time for talk was long over.

Let’s not beat around the bush here – this project will dramatically reshape central Coolangatta forever and it is important that those who call this beachside paradise home should be heard on how they want its future to look as part of the city’s public transport network.