Why light rail is headed to Palm Beach and State Government signals its plan

The State Government is buying up land along the future route of the light rail in the biggest signal yet that trams will be heading to the airport.

THE State Government is buying up land on the Gold Coast Highway at Palm Beach in the biggest signal yet that light rail will be heading to the airport, according to councillors and MPs.

Transport and Main Roads bureaucrats have denied they had given a direction to council officers that land was being bought for light rail, saying it involved “road widening”.

But officers at a planning committee meeting last week said it was their belief a section of private land was bought for the future tram corridor.

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A new high rise development at Palm Beach on the Gold Coast.

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During the debate about approval for a nine-storey development on The Esplanade, councillors were told that land adjoining its western boundary had been approved for three and five-storey multiple dwelling buildings.

Cr Hermann Vorster asked whether the Government, as a referral agency for the highway development, “required the front (of the property) to be preserved for the development of light rail into the future”.

An officer told him: “Yes, that’s correct. There is an area of road dedication fronting that development to the Gold Coast Highway.”

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The light rail path through Burleigh and Palm Beach as originally proposed in the GCC consultation. PHOTO: Supplied

Cr Vorster told councillors: “So there’s this rumour circulating in the community that the light rail cannot possibly go past Burleigh. And on that basis some people are arguing against taking the light rail to Burleigh.

“But it appears that the State Government fully intends for the light rail to make its way to the airport because is the referral agency preserving the future corridor.”

Where the Mermaid Beach South station will be built.

Planning chair Cameron Caldwell cautioned that “the Government taking a sliver of land” did not confirm the future light rail route.

“It means they’re taking precautionary steps to preserve the corridor,” he said.

Council officers agreed to report back to the planning committee to provide the “special reasons” outlined by department officers for buying up the land.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey late yesterday told the Bulletin: “TMR has given no direction to council to preserve land for light rail Stage 3B.

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“It sounds as though council officers may have been referring to an existing requirement in the City of Gold Coast’s planning scheme to preserve setbacks for widening the Gold Coast Highway.

“This is a longstanding TMR requirement that has been enshrined in council’s planning scheme for a number of years.”

Traffic congestion in the morning peak with vehicles heading north at Palm Beach on the Gold Coast.

But Burleigh MP Michael Hart said he was aware that transport bureaucrats were playing a role in setting conditions which suggested a light rail corridor was being preserved.

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“They are conditioning any new construction property where they are not allowed to reverse out of properties or they have to put a turntable in. That’s an indication to me they don’t want any parking in the future,” Mr Hart said.

“They’ve been doing things for the last three years. They are keeping all their options open.”

The parking lane on the Gold Coast Highway at Palm Beach on the northern Gold Coast.