Gold Coast light rail stage 4: Fears city will be embarrassed without border trams in 2032

Sports, tourism and council leaders are on a united ticket to get light rail extended to the airport by the 2032 Olympic Games, warning the city faces international embarrassment.

Sports, tourism and council leaders are on a united ticket to get light rail extended to the airport by the 2032 Olympic Games.

Speaking at the Gold Coast Bulletin’s Future Gold Coast breakfast on Thursday, Acting Mayor Donna Gates, Gold Coast Titans coach Des Hasler, Village Roadshow CEO Clark Kirby and Gold Coast Suns coach Damian Hardwick all threw their weight behind the 13km extension between Burleigh Heads and the border.

Ms Gates said she agreed with Mayor Tom Tate’s fears the city would be embarrassed if it did not have the final coastal leg of the tram completed by the Games in eight years time.

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.

“He feels that the city should be seen in its best possible light if we’re going to have the projected numbers of tourists here for the Olympic Games and I don’t believe it can be seen in its best light, nor does the mayor, if we haven’t got the connectivity that we need,” she said.

“The prime motive (for bidding on the Olympics) was to provide infrastructure and connectivity across the region. and clearly the light rail has always been one project to the airport and we just need to get there.”

City and state leaders are pushing for it to be completed ahead of the 2032 Olympics, with Mr Tate last week warning without the airport extension, the city’s transport system will be in chaos during the Olympics. He threatened to pull pin on hosting any Olympic events if trams were not completed to the airport prior.

Deputy Mayor Donna Gates and Clark Kirby. Picture Glenn Hampson

The Bulletin in a report in April revealed the cost of Stage Four would be more than $3 billion and at least $4 billion with an official upper estimate – considered by experts to be at the extreme upper end – at $7.6 billion.

A detailed business case will be delivered in mid-2025.

Both the costing and Opposition vowing to put a “brake” on the project and completely review it if elected in October, has led to speculation it will not be delivered as a top Olympics legacy item. State Transport Minister Bart Mellish, on a visit to the Gold Coast to inspect Stage 3 light rail works from Broadbeach to Burleigh, said Labor was committed to the trams.

Mr Kirby backed Ms Gates and said the tram would be a key legacy of the Games.

“I’ve been a strong supporter of this legacy and we cannot waste this incredible opportunity,” he said.

Suns coach Damien Hardwick and Titans coach Des Hasler Picture Glenn Hampson

“We have something extraordinary and infrastructure will play a really important part in that.”

Mr Hasler said he was strongly in favour of the extension, which is yet to be funded.

“I’m really looking forward to riding on the tramway when it’s finished,” he said.

To laughs, he added: “I’m not a weirdo but I cannot wait to see how, logistically, they are going to get past that Burleigh intersection.”

Mr Hardwick said the city was changing and it was critical to have a transport system in place that would move large numbers of people around, including to sporting events.

“It’s like the old Kevin Costner film (1989’s Field of Dreams), build it and they will come,” he said.