Future Gold Coast: The tight timetable to finish light rail Stage 4 by 2032 Olympic Games

Gold Coast city leaders will pitch light rail stage 4 as the one critical Olympic Games legacy project as the push to fast-track its construction ramps up. SEE THE PITCH

“The Gold Coast has only one ask. Build this light rail by 2030.”

That’s the Mayor Tom Tate’s one-track mind revelation in an exclusive interview for the Future Gold Coast series.

He also highlights the tight timeline to complete light rail Stage Four to the airport before the 2032 Olympic Games.

The Gold Coast can gain multiple citywide Games legacies from accommodating athletes and officials – a giant Greenheart parklands at Robina and expansion of the HOTA cultural precinct at Bundall.

But council’s pitch to state and federal governments is focused on one thing, the Mayor says – completing the tram link from Burleigh to the Gold Coast Airport two years before the Games begin.

“We only have one ask: get this light rail done by 2030. That’s the one ask,” Mr Tate said,

“We are putting on nine sports. Participation and crowd – that’s bigger than the Commonwealth Games. It’s not a huge ask when it’s another multi-sporting event bigger than the Commonwealth Games.”

Mayor Tom Tate says the city must have a one-track mind and go all-in on light rail before 2032. Picture: Jerad Williams.

The Mayor’s pitch is based on a tough time line for the build, the engineering challenges around the final stage and how the trams are critical to pushing the button on east-west bus routes.

While confident about State support, the Mayor is concerned about federal backing.

“Look at the history, in line with the Commonwealth Games 2018, light rail Stage Two was front and centre. Because of the Athletes Village (at Parkwood),” he said.

“All three tiers of government recognised that, and we delivered on that. It was wonderful and it worked.

“So fast forward now, Olympics 2032. Light rail Stage Four should be completed by 2030. Because you want six months of testing and people can start using well in advance.”

In setting the time line, Mr Tate said he had looked at “the critical part” which means building must start within the 12 months of completing light rail Stage Three to Burleigh.

He believes it is important to “give the carrot to the person who wants to build it”, secure the tender and also reduce costs skyrocketing from delays.

“You start by 2026, completion by 2030 is very doable. Tight but doable,” he said.

“What you need to do is tackle the parts that are on the critical path. Any delay on the critical path means a delay on the project itself.

“Both the Tallebudgera bridge and Currumbin bridges are on the critical path – we learnt that on Stage One with the Southport bridge.

Critical build section for the trams going south – a graphic showing light rail stage four Gold Coast, and how the trams will cross the Currumbin Creek.

“The approvals were delayed 12 months because they didn’t know how to work through the flood plain reflux up the stream (of the Nerang River).

“Right now we need the planning. All three tiers have put in $10 million each. So there is $30 million there to finalise to details of the route. They have to finalise the route first. Then they know exactly where the bridges will be.

“Once that is completed they should go ahead and unpackage the bridges, a tender for both those to be built before Stage Four commences.

“It gives certainty the project will go ahead. You will not build those two bridges and stop.”

Mr Tate suggests the state Government should then be given the option of first building the leg between Coolangatta to the airport at the same time as Burleigh Heads to Palm Beach.

“Because the difficulty on the southern part – there will be some unknowns as you get close the airport terminal,” Mr Tate said.

“I’d like to have that started. Why not – the route is not blocking anyone. And get it to the airport so it would cause the least disruption possible for the airport, because that’s the lifeline of our tourism.”

Mr Tate said he believed there was State support for the project but admitted to being “unsure at the federal level”.

Artist impression of Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 4 between Tugun and Coolangatta, including Gold Coast Airport and the NSW border. Picture: Department of Transport and Main Roads.

In September, the Mayor and business leaders called on the Federal Government to confirm its commitment to the southern light rail’s future extension after reports about the Federal Government’s review into $120bn of infrastructure projects.

“I’ve spoken to Prime Minister (Anthony) Albanese, and he’s in favour of public transport, always been, and I did say to him that ironically he was the Transport Minister who ticked off on Stage One,” Mr Tate said.

“Anastacia (Palaszczuk) was also the (Queensland) Transport Minister ticking off Stage One, and I was there ticking it off as well. It would be quite nice to have three signatures ticking off sooner than later (on funding).

“The longer you delay this project, the more it will cost. It means ratepayers (and taxpayer) funds. It also delays value uplift to get return on your investment.”

Mr Tate says a year delay increases the price tag for Stage Four by 25 per cent.

The tender sign off should be the beginning of 2026, he added.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey, Federal Gold Coast-based Senator and Minister Murray Watt and Mayor Tom Tate. Picture: Mike Batterham.

Asked if there was a “plan B” to have funding fast forwarded for Greenheart and HOTA if a “tram fail” occurred, the Mayor replied: “Light rail is it. We have the certainty that light rail will go to the airport, then very quickly we can fast track the east west connection in the bus mode, all the way to CBUS (Stadium) and Varsity and through Bond University and the Athletes Village.

“The roads are wide enough to have a dedicated lane. I’d even get the buses designed to exactly like light rail itself – you know, those long double buses.”

Follow @PaulWestonGC