Gold Coast light rail: Council candidate claims tram extension will save koala population

The Gold Coast Airport extension of the light rail could be the secret weapon to saving the city’s endangered koala population.

EXTENDING the light rail south to Coolangatta might help save Burleigh’s koala population rather than destroy it.

Zac Revere, 23, a Griffith University law student and operations manager at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, has outlined the positive impacts on light rail in a controversial research paper prepared for his Division 12 campaign.

PLANNING BEGINS ON FUTURE LIGHT RAIL ROUTES

Division 12 council candidate Zac Revere.

Mr Revere is calling on voters to “respect his position” aware some outspoken anti-rail residents from Palm Beach are maintaining a fierce campaign on Facebook against the trams being extended first from Broadbeach to Burleigh then Coolangatta.

On his Facebook candidate page, Mr Revere wrote: “Knowing that the second leading cause of koala fatality is car strikes, could this (light rail) be an opportunity to ease private traffic and dramatically lower the number of car strikes plaguing our city roads.

“My understanding is yes. I believe that the light rail must continue the route along the Gold Coast Highway to conclude at the Coolangatta Airport. It must as a matter of environmental conservation, as an element in the fight for koala preservation and as insurance for the most important koala habitat in South East Queensland.”

When Stage 1 of light rail was completed in Southport, traffic along Scarborough Street was cut by half with more than 5000 vehicles removed from the road, Mr Revere said.

“The population in our Burleigh neighbourhood remains in poor standard, with a total of 13 to 25 koalas,” Mr Revere wrote.

PUSH TO FAST-TRACK GOLD COAST LIGHT RAIL EXTENSION

Zac Revere, who is running for council, works at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.

“This family of koalas is under threat by the second highest cause of koala fatalities in our city — car strike. The Queensland Department of Environment and Science reports an estimated 340 koala strikes by private vehicles per year on the Gold Coast, which amounts to six koalas a week visiting wildlife hospitals with an 80 per cent fatality rate.”

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Mr Revere admitted light rail was not the “golden ticket solution” but it was one of many options which could work to save more koalas.

Anti-tram campaigner Karen Rowles on his Facebook page returned political fire, warning Mr Revere against supporting light rail “or you will lose votes”.

“There are over 100 koalas in the Burleigh Hill-Burleigh ridge area. Lies, lies, lies. Light rail is a fail. Stop Stage 3b,” Ms Rowles wrote, in her post.

INCREDIBLE NEW TRAM STATISTICS REVEALED

Karen Rowles. Photo by Richard Gosling

Mr Revere said he respected Ms Rowles’ passion, and he was waiting to see further hard evidence from anti-light rail campaigners about the impact on koalas.

His information was based on research from environmental consultants Biolink, the council and Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.

Asked whether he was concerned about taking such a public stand on light rail, Mr Revere said the issue was among the top three in the campaign leading up to the March 20 poll.

“Everyone running in this election needs to talk about it and open up. I’ve worked as an animal keeper. I have real passion for koalas,” he said.