Council polling gives insight into what Gold Coasters really want

Council hired an independent consultant who polled residents across the Gold Coast about their priorities. This is what they discovered - including a surprising tram stat from the south.

What’s the most important issue for Gold Coasters? Is it youth crime, or housing affordability? What about high-rise development?

In what is a surprise finding, none of these issues get even close to top of the list.

Council has hired an independent consultant who polled residents across the Gold Coast about what was a priority for them – all of it to get some facts out there in the political debate before spending more ratepayer money on the groundwork for light rail Stage Four.

The thinking was “let’s get some hard independent data” on the trams given the negative publicity about the former Labor Government’s consultation process.

The final figures, when presented to councillors and released publicly, will show majority support across the city for the trams. Even down south in Palm Beach, it’s 50-50.

Light rail Stage Three landing at Burleigh. Renders from Queensland Government.

All of this was done before the bombshell about the Government showing big interest in exploring the highly controversial bus option from Burleigh to Coolangatta.

The results are critical for the new Crisafulli Government on its political road ahead. It shows the priorities of Gold Coasters.

Residents were asked “what is the most important issue of concern for your local area”.

More than half replied it was “roads, traffic and public transport” – the response was even higher than that in the south.

Crime ran second. Despite being the centrepiece in last October’s State poll, it only got a third of votes.

Only a quarter of residents were concerned about planning and development.

Cost of living barely made it to double figures. Interesting, given a federal poll ahead.

Both the trams and Coomera Connector this week were removed from an Infrastructure Australia priority list. The survey results are a reminder for the State to speak up.

Which leads to the question of why Mayor Tom Tate spoke up about being “open and persuadable” to buses on the light rail Stage Four route from Burleigh to the border.

The Mayor was asked by the Bulletin against a backdrop of strong leaks that the Crisafulli Government, as it conducted a review, had a preference for buses.

This would tear up a decades-long transport agreement between three levels of government that light rail to the airport was the best way to solve the Coast’s gridlock.

A Gold Coast City Council map for future public transport 2018-28. It shows light rail to the border.

Council infrastructure experts know it is “ridiculous” to introduce a fast bus connection.

A bus-tram transit stop at Burleigh and dedicated lanes to Coolangatta will still cost “significant” money. They know the feel of the coastal village will be destroyed.

But my City insider suggests the Mayor also knows a fast transit system is needed before the 2032 Olympics to prevent gridlock and reputational damage.

“We will take it (the buses) - if it gets us to 2032,” the insider says.

The insider also suggests the City needs Government support on the cableway, HOTA and Greenheart funding. So throwing a tantrum now would end a political honeymoon.

But in the bigger picture the survey results - the possibility we could have buses - this is a huge legacy moment.

There is no debate from any stakeholders on this. The new Government risks being branded as the one which failed to finish the tram set.

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Originally published as Council polling gives insight into what Gold Coasters really want