FINDING THE BEST ROUTE
A COASTAL tram route down the Gold Coast Highway to the airport is a far better option than a western line along the Pacific Motorway corridor, an independent study suggests.
Ahead of launching an extensive consultation and business case, the state government commissioned the independent study to determine the best options for Stage 4 of the light rail project.
A COASTAL tram route down the Gold Coast Highway to the airport is a far better option than a western line along the Pacific Motorway corridor, an independent study suggests.
The state government commissioned Brisbane consultants Jacobs Group to investigate the best options into Stage 4 of the light rail before it launched extensive community consultation and a business case.
The Gold Coast Highway Burleigh Heads to Tugun report found the highway route would create a “high amenity, community-focused boulevard” in each coastal suburb.
The trams would go past top tourist attractions like Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and the beaches, past Southern Cross University and the airport.
“The Gold Coast Highway route was found to be the fastest and most direct of the corridors investigated,” consultants say in their report.
It would also allow for the protection of the heavy rail corridor by the M1 for longer travel.
Weighing up the best routes to serve transport use and property interests, the consultants had narrowed down the following shortlist:
● (1) Reedy Creek Rd and the M1 corridor;
● (2) Gold Coast Highway/ Mallawa Drive/The Highway;
● (3) Gold Coast Highway/ Townson Ave/The Highway;
● (4) Gold Coast Highway/ Cypress Ave/The Highway;
● (5) Gold Coast Highway only.
“Overall, option five (Gold Coast Highway only) was identified as likely to have the best capital and operating costs due to the fact that it has the shortest overall length,” the consultants said.
The Mallawa Drive and Townson Drive options scored poorly for flooding, while the Gold Coast Highway option (five) “located on the foredunes” was above the nominated flood level.
All options have environmental and ecology impacts, but the M1 route scored less points for having “heritage values” around Tallebudgera and Currumbin creeks.
Options two to five could “enhance the Burleigh Head National Park Jellurgal heritage value through infrastructure designs, particularly around stations”. On social impacts, the consultants wrote at length about issues raised by Palm Beach residents identifying significant concerns in a petition.
The impact of the M1 route “was considered moderate as its impact to the community was likely to be low but so too was its perceived benefit to the wider community”.
“Option five was considered best as it more clearly aligns with community expectations around provision of major transport infrastructure within existing major transport corridors, while directly serving places of community interest including beaches and surf lifesaving clubs,” the report says.
The Gold Coast Highway option, at least as far south as Palm Beach Ave, had received at least 70 per cent support in the latest round of community consultation, consultants added.
Transport Minister Mark Bailey said he had asked Transport and Main Roads to release the multi-modal report to support the upcoming community discussion around light rail Stage 4.
“As people will see, the report recommends the current route down the Gold Coast Highway as it ‘has the greatest potential for mode shift to public transport as it is close to where people already live’,” he said.
“It also details how improvements to the road network can take traffic off the Gold Coast Highway through Palm Beach, creating the opportunity to transform that area ‘into a pedestrian-friendly precinct with the opportunity for street-front dining, shopping and urban renewal’.
“We know that there will never be 100 per cent agreement on the preferred route for a future stage of light rail beyond Burleigh, but I encourage all Gold Coasters to read the report and have their say during the upcoming public consultation process.”
The next round of consultation will be from July 12 to September 17 and include community drop-in sessions for residents to ask questions and provide face-to-face feedback.
These sessions will be held at Palm Beach, Currumbin, Burleigh Heads, Tallebudgera, Elanora and Tugun.