Sunshine Coast transport: Councillors weigh in as light rail ‘secret meeting’ speculation mounts

Several Sunshine Coast councillors have weighed in as speculation mounts a secret meeting was looming to fast-track a controversial mass transit project.

Speculation of a “secret meeting” to fast-track a controversial mass transit plan involving light rail as an option has been dismissed by several Sunshine Coast councillors.

Community groups had raised fears earlier this week that the council’s preferred light rail option could be pushed through in a special meeting scheduled for September 21.

The community was awaiting the publication of a report outlining the outcomes of public consultation and a major survey which was due to help form part of the mass transit options analysis report councillors would eventually deliberate over.

Councillor Joe Natoli confirmed a special meeting had been scheduled from 1.30pm Tuesday, September 21, with no reason specified.

Councillors had been invited to visit the Gold Coast the following day to sample different public transport modes.

Mr Natoli said it was “absolutely not” enough time for councillors and the community to assess the report if next week’s mysterious special meeting was to focus on mass transit.

He said he expected the community would have “many questions” that stemmed from the report.

“There’s no need to rush this,” he said.

“I think the public will be surprised when they read the way the report’s been written.”

Fellow councillor Peter Cox said he was unsure when the meeting to discuss the report would be scheduled but he had “every confidence” adequate time would be provided for the public to assess the information.

Mr Cox said councillors “have had a three-plus hour workshop on this matter, plus all had the opportunity for one-on-one briefings with the mass transit team”.

Councillor Ted Hungerford said there had been no workshops held on the outcomes to-date but he dismissed the idea of a meeting being rushed through next week.

He said chief executive Emma Thomas was yet to post a notice of the special meeting and the time put aside next week had been set aside “months ago”.

Mr Hungerford said he was not sure where the meeting speculation had been sparked but he said the public “should have a month to go through it”.

Mr Cox said he would not comment further on any indication of results of the survey or consultation as the report was still in its draft phase and was yet to be finalised.

Organisation Sunshine Coast Association of Residents president Melva Hobson said she’d had confirmation from members of the council’s mass transit project team and the council’s chief executive that there would not be a special meeting on mass transit next week.

Ms Hobson said the group would seek a “clear explanation” of the process including the timing and level of detail to be provided to the public when she met with Ms Thomas next week.

A council spokeswoman said the final Options Analysis report would be “amended, expanded or qualified to the extent that the results of the engagement process provides a clear basis for doing so”.

The spokeswoman said an agenda, the updated report “including the engagement summary report and meeting details” would be published on the council’s website before the report was considered.