Gold Coast light rail: Where tram’s future routes should go once Stage 3B to airport is completed
A PROPOSED link rail link across Chevron Island to Bundall must be prioritised by political leaders ahead of a connection to one of the Gold Coast’s biggest stadiums, a leading transport expert says
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A PROPOSED light rail link across Chevron Island to Bundall must be prioritised by political leaders ahead of a connection to one of the Gold Coast’s biggest stadiums as planning for the tram system looks west.
That’s the message from a leading transport expert who says the spur line to the business district would pay greater dividends than a line running from Broadbeach to Metricon Stadium.
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Bond University associate professor of urban planning Daniel O’Hare said recent projections that the Gold Coast’s population would hit 1 million people by 2034 meant millions would need to be spent to create the ideal public transport system.
This, he said, would include multiple tram spur lines connecting suburbs such as Robina, Varsity Lakes and Biggera Waters to create loops with the city’s heavy rail network.
“We need to look at what it is intended to be and then look at how we can get the timing of things going and this will mean having to look at funding for the transport infrastructure,” he said.
“If we do not invest in public transport now we are locking in car congestion as a major thing and once that gets worse the political demand for increasing spending on more roads will take over.
“We need to be upfront with the light rail investment — there is good support for it and the east-west links are critical.”
It comes nearly a week after it was revealed the federal Coalition has signed off on $112 million in funding for stage 3A, running from Broadbeach to Burleigh.
If funding from the state and council is secured later this year, it is expected to take its first passengers by 2021.
The Council and State Government are completing a $10 million business case which is expected to be finished in December.
But Associate Professor O’Hare said the immediate priority after Stage 3A was completing the coastal spine with stage 3B to Gold Coast Airport and the border and Robina to follow immediately after.
“A loop back to the heavy rail to Robina is ideal — it is a concentration of a major town centre, public and private hospitals and education facilities,” he said.
“We need to explore how to make this viable.
“As for the spurs — Chevron Island should be looked at — this one would be a popular spur line.
“Given the importance of the council precinct and the growing popularity of HOTA, it would be a good one to look at and fairly cheap to realise.”
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Future links to Chevron Island, The Spit and Elanora, have been set out in the Gold Coast City Council’s 2031 Transport Plan while other political leaders are pushing for a spur line to Harbourtown.
However city hall sources say it is unlikely many of these routes will be realised by that year.
Acting Mayor Donna Gates said she did not envisage the Chevron link would be prioritised.
“Primarily we want to get to the airport as fast as possible — that is priority No. 1,” she said.
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“After that I would agree to go west to Robina and connect with the western suburbs and the Varsity Lakes railway station. That would make sense for the extension of the heavy rail in the future too.
“Given HOTA is so close to the existing light rail I doubt Chevron would be considered a priority given the cost of delivering it.”
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