Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3A: the inside story on Labor stalling on light rail funding

One of the city’s most powerful politicians is refusing to fight for extra funding for Stage 3 light rail as negotiations stall on the Glitter Strip’s most important public transport project.

LABOR’S most powerful Gold Coast politician is refusing to fight for extra funding for Stage 3 of the light rail as negotiations stall on the Glitter Strip’s most important public transport project.

When asked yesterday if he would fight for more funding to extend the trams to Burleigh, Southport-based Senator Murray Watt revealed the party’s priorities were Cross River Rail and the Pacific Motorway.

SHORTEN MISSES ‘FREE KICK’ BY FAILING TO TALK UP LIGHT RAIL FUNDING

Senator Murray Watt at a rally by council workers.

Mayor Tom Tate has pleaded with both sides of federal politics to provide a “fair funding deal” similar to the one signed off late yesterday by the council for the State Government.

Labor is only prepared to match the Morrison Government’s $112 million which the council says will be $45 million short on delivering the next stage of light rail.

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The Bulletin asked Senator Watt a series of critical questions in the hope of breaking the funding deadlock.

When asked why he was not fighting for the extra funding, Senator Watt said Federal Labor’s highest priorities for helping with Gold Coast traffic congestion were to fund Cross River Rail and to widen and upgrade the M1.

POLITICAL EXPERTS SAY LNP MUST BE CONFIDENT TO SNUB LIGHT RAIL FUNDING

Labor senator Murray Watt. Picture by Richard Gosling

Political analysts are stunned by Labor’s stalling on light rail. They say agreeing to look at extra funding give the ALP “a free kick” to win the marginal northern Coast seat of Forde.

Both Mr Shorten and Mr Morrison have yet to respond after Mayor Tate set a 9am deadline last Tuesday to provide the extra funding which he maintained could be sourced from the $4 billion Urban Congestion Fund.

“I am a strong supporter of building Stage 3A of the light rail, and have explained its importance to both Bill Shorten and Anthony Albanese, the Shadow Infrastructure Minister,” Senator Watt said.

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Mayor Tom Tate waits by his phone for a call from Prime Minister Scott Morrison or Opposition Leader Bill Shorten to pledge the extra money for the trams. Picture Glenn Hampson.

Senator Watt has consistently criticised the performance of the city’s LNP MPs, and recently attacked outgoing MP Steven Ciobo.

“Steve is one of many LNP representatives who have been more focused on getting themselves ahead than getting much done on the Gold Coast.

“ … He’s always more about Steven Ciobo than he has been about the Gold Coast.

“The Gold Coast deserves MPs who are hungry to meet local residents’ needs, not LNP layabouts who take them for granted.”

Cr Tate called for “fairness” by all sides yesterday.

The council is seeking 22 per cent of the $740 million total cost, like it did for Stage 2, rather than the current 15 per cent offer.

“The message is loud and clear, be fair about it and match the percentage funding of light rail stage two,” Cr Tate said.

A super majority of councillors yesterday voted that the Mayor and CEO Dale Dickson enter into a funding agreement with the Palaszczuk Government.

“From a council point of view, if we’re fair about it the Federal Government should be fair about it,” Cr Tate said.

“And you know, we’ve got elections coming up from both sides of politics. We want bipartisan support for the sixth-largest city in Australia.”

Senator Watt defended his credentials when it came to fighting for the Coast.

“I have lobbied for, and secured, funding commitments of $2.24 billion from Federal Labor to build Cross River Rail, which will deliver train services every five minutes between the Gold Coast and Brisbane during peak hour, and over $1 billion in federal funding to support the widening of, and access to, the M1 Pacific Motorway,’ he said.

“We will also provide $112 million towards Stage 3A of the Gold Coast Light Rail, matching the Government’s commitment.”