State begins review process on Gold Coast light rail expansion

The state government has begun community consultation for a review into the controversial stage four Gold Coast light-rail expansion – weeks after casting doubt over the project.

The City of Gold Coast council expected the 13-kilometre expansion to connect the existing G:link line with the Gold Coast Airport – and had mooted a further extension across the border to Tweed Heads – but the 15-year-long project has had mixed reception from locals.

Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie said the former Labor government had shown “disdain” for residents through “secret plans” that would see more than 235 homes resumed and a decrease of about 1000 local car parks.

Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie said his department would head a review into the Gold Coast light rail, less than two months after floating the idea of using buses along the project’s final leg.

“This was a project that the Labor Party forced upon the people of the southern end of the Gold Coast,” Bleijie said.

“They had made up their mind that it was going to be light rail stage four, and to hell with the community and the impacts on the community.”

In January, the state government floated the idea of buses servicing the stage-four stretch, which would run from Burleigh Heads to Coolangatta through 14 stops.

The state’s busway option was mentioned after calls for more federal funding on the project – alongside the yet-unbuilt Sunshine Coast heavy rail – were denied.

However, Bleijie maintained the review was a direct result of a promise made during the election to listen to the southern Gold Coast community.

“I promised that there would be an independent review, and we have set that structure up in the Department of Infrastructure and Planning separate from TMR, and we will be holding TMR to account in terms of documentation and so forth,” Bleijie said.

“In a nutshell, this review will listen to community – this will not force a decision.”

Community consultation run in December 2021 by the Department of Transport and Main Roads revealed a vast majority of locals did not trust the project would make real differences in local transport.

City of Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said a review of the Gold Coast light rail stage four expansion should consult people across the entire region.Credit: Justin McManus.

While about two in three people supported the project, only one in three thought it would meaningfully boost the connectivity and accessibility for the car-dependent region.

The project has also caused concern after the former government revealed in mid-2024 that the project could overshoot its $30 million price tag – currently split evenly between state and local governments – to a final cost of $7.6 billion.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said he still stood by the council’s 2011 decision to build the entire tramway, which he said followed 12 months of consultation across the region.

“This is a city project – citywide – so when you do the consultation, you don’t just pick Palm Beach, you pick [the] whole of city for consultation because the whole of city will be using this light rail connection to the airport,” Tate said.

“That would be a fair ask.”

The review will take community submissions until March 2.