TRAM BUILD’S GC HWY HELL
GOLD Coast motorists can expect lower speed zones and “inconvenience” for the build of the light rail along the Gold Coast Highway to Burleigh.
State Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey thanked motorists “for patience in advance” of the disruption. It will start this month now a $1.2bn build contract for the 6.7km track is done.
The construction is not expected to finish until 2025.
GOLD Coast motorists can expect lower speed zones and “inconvenience” for the build of the light rail along the Gold Coast Highway to Burleigh.
State Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey thanked motorists “for patience in advance” of the disruption. It will start this month now a $1.2bn build contract for the 6.7km track is done.
Mr Bailey forecast lower speed zones with ongoing work in a “live environment”.
“For stage 2 we had a largely greenfield site, so we could smash it out very quickly,” Mr
Bailey said. “But this one, we will be managing the Gold Coast Highway. It will be a live environment 24-7 – and there will be some inconvenience, no doubt about that.
“We certainly thank people for patience in advance.
“But if we can get a really strong public transport system all the way down to Burleigh, it’s going to be positive.”
Mr Bailey said disruptions would “vary over time” through to completion in 2025.
“The main thing for people driving between Broady and Burleigh will just be to take it easy through there,” he said.
“Work sites will change at different times and we will try to minimise the impacts.”
Mr Bailey said some of the work would be done late at night “when everyone is asleep and there are not as many people getting around”.
“But there will be plenty of work during the day and reduced speed zones at times – short-term inconvenience for very long-term gain.”
It was revealed in Friday’s Bulletin that the build would cost $1.2bn, up from a revised $1.04bn in 2021 – and the $709m forecast in 2018.
A source said Labor’s new “best practice procurement policy” laws for industrial sites were a big part of the $500m blowout, not just Covid-related materials increases.
LNP transport and main roads spokesman Steve Minnikin said: “The Gold Coast light rail is two years late and half a billion dollars over budget, marking Mark Bailey the most incompetent Transport Minister in Queensland’s history.”
“Despite inking the eye-watering $1.2bn contract on Wednesday, the minister is only today allowing Queensland to know the cost of his incompetence to avoid parliamentary scrutiny this week.
“The Gold Coast light rail from Broadbeach to Burleigh joins a plethora of projects that are delayed and over budget under this state government.
“This latest budget blowout is also linked to the government’s dodgy best practice industry conditions policy.
“Yet again, a deal to line the pockets of unions which is costing Queenslanders billions.”
Mr Minnikin said Queenslanders were getting “a lot less for a lot more” due to “Bailey’s inability to do his job”.
“(He) can’t manage projects. Never has. Never will.
“The minister and this state government can’t be trusted to deliver infrastructure Queensland needs on budget.”
Mr Minnikin said blowout projects included the Coomera Connector, commonly referred to as the “second M1”.
Mr Bailey said this week it was a “landmark deal” that ensured the light rail workforce would be “properly looked after in terms of wages and conditions”.
$500M BLOWOUT