What Burleigh businesses and locals really think of Light Rail Stage 3

A VAST majority of Burleigh businesses are worried Light Rail Stage 3 plans will kill off trade causing them to suffer the same fate as once thriving businesses did in the northern corridor.

Madeline Halter and Britney Gaw from The Pantry Café are both "100 per cent" against the light rail stage 3.

MANY Burleigh businesses are fighting to stop the Light Rail Stage 3 plans concerned they will suffer the same fate as once thriving businesses did in the northern corridor when earlier stages of light rail sent them broke.

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Madeline Halter, who works at The Pantry Cafe on Connor Street said she was ‘100 per cent’ against the light rail stage 3.

“It will put so many of us out of business,” she said.

Madeline Halter and Britney Gaw from The Pantry cafe are both "100 per cent" against the light rail stage 3.

“There has already been talk of having to close the shop and open a pop-up shop during the construction but that will mean losing staff and having to struggle.”

Britney Gaw said there was already a reliable bus system with multiple stops along the Gold Coast Highway.

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“There will be no parking, and we will get hardly any pedestrian traffic. It’s guaranteed to ruin a lot of businesses.”

Locals also don’t want to see their seaside suburb turned into a construction zone.

“It will be hell, it will cause years of disruption and people will avoid the area. I don’t see how businesses can recover from that,” said long-time Burleigh local Rae Bennett.

Wendy Boquest, owner of Tango Gelato on the Gold Coast Highway at Burleigh hopes businesses will be protected during light rail stage 3 construction.

The Gold Coast Bulletin surveyed many locals with 100 per cent of people questioned saying they were against the move.

Wendy Boquest, owner of Tango Gelato said ‘horror stories’ from the northern end had terrified local businesses.

“There will be a transition period, hopefully they will protect businesses during all of it and have learned from those past mistakes. It’s a bit of an unknown how it will affect us in the long term.”