BAILEY WON’T BE DERAILED

Transport Minister Mark Bailey sits down to talk all things light rail – and why he’s not afraid of Palm Beach protesters

MARK Bailey laughs at the suggestion we meet for coffee in Palm Beach.

After all, the Transport Minister is the very public face of the contentious southern extension of the light rail – and nowhere is it more controversial than that beachside suburb now dotted with yellow “Trams Outta Palmy” placards.

And yet, as we sit down at a Nerang cafe far too early in the morning after State of Origin, his laugh is not one of scepticism but approval. If only he’d thought of it earlier.

“That would have been good actually,” says Mr Bailey.

“There’s a lot of people in Palm Beach who really want the light rail, but they don’t want to get beaten up by social media. I’d be quite confident going to Palm Beach and finding plenty of supporters.”

Regardless, he says he will not be attending light rail stage 4 community consultations, despite pressure from anti-light rail residents.

“It’s really got nothing to do with me in that sense, it’s got everything to do with the future of the southern Gold Coast and we want the people to have their say. It’s not about me,” he says.

“There are a few people down there who are trying to personalise it and I don’t think that’s really appropriate, that’s not what people want.

“Locals want to have their say and have their input and that’s the main point, so I’m not going to respond to people who are trying to make it about me.

“I completely reject the idea that people can’t get information about the project, the information is out there for anyone who wants to access it. Just go on the Transport and Main Roads website and see how much information is there.

“This is a substantial

piece of work and we are involving the community. We consulted last year, even through Covid, and there’s another wave of consultations now. It’s not about deciding the route, that is decided, but how can we make this as good as it possibly can be?

“Some opponents are trying to put up every kind of argument they can think of to stop light rail, and that’s OK … it’s a democracy. But the multimodal study conducted was a very comprehensive piece of work by an independent consultancy, separate from the government, and it has identified the light rail route along the Gold Coast Highway as the best, and that’s what we’re going with.”

While stage 3 of the light rail, from Broadbeach to Burleigh, is in early works, the state government is still finalising negotiations on the main contract. Construction is expected to be completed during 2024, with stage 4 from Burleigh to the Gold Coast Airport to begin after that.

But this is not going to be the Gold Coast Highway of old … in fact, it might even get a brand new name.

With the state government releasing flyover videos of stages 3 and 4 of the light rail this week, many critics questioned the wisdom of reducing road lanes of the highway through southern sections.

Mr Bailey says the plan is to divert traffic from 19th Avenue in Palm Beach to the M1, effectively creating a Gold Coast Highway bypass.

It’s a scenario similar to the diversion of the highway in Surfers Paradise, where the old Gold Coast Highway was renamed and rebranded as Surfers Paradise Blvd.

“By diverting that traffic off the Gold Coast Highway to the M1, we’re creating a whole new boulevard instead of a highway … and it’s not the worst idea in the world to rename it. It’s not a highway anymore, and it hasn’t been for a long time.

“Part of stage 4 of the light rail is really upgrading the access to the M1, unless you need to visit the local area, it will be far better to travel along the M1. That’s going to transform those southern suburbs.

“Instead of four lanes of traffic, it will be two. The light rail is far better for noise, air and even visual pollution. It’s going to make all of those properties

west of the highway feel like beachside locations.”

Mr Bailey says while he understands some residents may fear change and love their

homes and suburbs, it’s time for a reality check. He says the population of the Gold Coast is not going to stop increasing, and we can either prepare for that or pay the consequences.

“The net migration for Queensland over the next few years is 88 per cent, and a big slice of that is coming to the Gold Coast. We can’t stop that,” he said.

“So what are we going to do about it? We have two choices – build the infrastructure or allow traffic gridlock. Buses have their place but they are not an alternative to the light rail – they use the same road and yet passengers simply don’t use them like they do rail. It’s a fact.

“If we do nothing, we’ll be choked not just by traffic but instead of building parks we’ll be building car parks. Public transportation is the key to a better, more liveable city.

“I know that some people love the southern Gold Coast because it’s had that sleepier, slower pace but still with great access to the city. But those sleepy days are over and that’s nothing to do with light rail – that’s just growth.

“People have to realise that the secret is out. Light rail isn’t going to bring more people to Burleigh, they’re already there. It’s just a matter of how they get there. Surely it’s better to have one tram than 15 Ubers?

“Some anti-rail campaigners are conflating development with light rail. But look at Palm Beach, those towers started getting built years ago and we’re still years away from even starting stage 4. It’s a matter for the city council but the fact is that stopping light rail is not going to stop development.”

However, Mr Bailey says resumption of property will be a reality during stage 4.

He says plans are not yet at the stage where full details are known, but TMR would be working with residents throughout the process.

“We do not want residents to lose out financially. We want to work with them so they get the best result possible. That will be different for each one, but it’s going to be an ongoing conversation.”

With plans to build a second bridge across Tallebudgera Creek raising concerns that remnants of indigenous stone fish traps could be disrupted, Mr Bailey says TMR will also work closely with First Nations people to ensure sacred sites are not damaged.

He says despite the many arguments and objections protesters have raised against the light rail, he can’t see that any will actually stop it – and that includes increased costs and controversy over contractors.

“We want to make sure this infrastructure is environmentally and culturally responsible, and we want to set an example of how to do it right,” he says.

“It’s true that costs have gone up, but we are in the middle of a boom. If you priced building a home in 2018, it’s going to be a far cry from what it costs now. We just have to deal with it.

“Having said that, when it came to bidding for Stage 3 of the light rail, we chose the company that offered the best price and that was John Holland Group by a substantial margin.

“They were an Australian company but have been bought out by Chinese interests, but that’s just another argument that anti-rail protesters are trying to grasp at.”

While Mr Bailey is used to the criticism that he’s a Brisbane blow-in, the truth is that he’s a true blue son of the Gold Coast.

Born at the old Southport Hospital in 1968, he grew up in the heart of Broadbeach Waters, attending Broadbeach State School and living through the legendary 1974 floods.

“We were the only two-storey house in our street so we ended up with 29 people, four dogs, five cats and a budgie all living on our second floor because every other home was inundated,” he says. “We moved to Brisbane for my father’s work when I was about six, but the Gold Coast has always been part of my story.”

Indeed, Mr Bailey has been in a relationship with Gaven MP Meaghan Scanlon since 2016 and is a regular visitor to the Coast.

He says his vision for the city is not simply building a light rail link, but a co-ordinated transportation system involving heavy rail and the second M1 – and don’t forget the Oceanway.

“The opportunities for the Gold Coast right now are enormous, but if we can’t move, how do we seize them?

“Connecting the light rail to the airport is essential, but so too is connecting the heavy rail. They each serve different purposes and different passengers. We have to keep that heavy rail corridor along the M1 for heavy rail, to do otherwise is just ridiculous. Along with that, we need the second M1 to free up the traffic flow. All of this is long, hard work but we have to do it for our future. We can’t just grow and grow and do nothing about it.

“Then there’s the Oceanway, which provides a connected route along our most precious public land – the beach. I know there is opposition to it, but sometimes you just have to share.

“Ultimately that’s what this is about. I’m not expecting 100 per cent approval on anything I do – that’s not life and it’s definitely not politics. But I do hope that people do their own research and are allowed to think for themselves.”

And that brings us back to Palm Beach.

“I support everyone’s right to think and say whatever they believe, but they need to afford that same right to others.

“Right now, a lot of people who support light rail are afraid to say so. Yet look at the last election, (sitting Burleigh MP) Michael Hart lost the primary vote in all three Palm Beach booths – which he won in every other election.

“That’s the people of Palm Beach speaking up for the light rail. That’s democracy.

“It’s not about me and it’s not about Michael Hart, it’s about the people of the Gold Coast.”

We have two choices – build the infrastructure or allow traffic gridlock