Gold Coast City Council election 2024: Plans for multistorey light rail carparks in Burleigh and Palm Beach
Gold Coast City Council has unveiled plans for two multi-storey car parks to ease parking woes along the southern light rail route. SEE THE INTERACTIVE MAP
Council Election
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The Gold Coast City Council will spend $40m to build two multistorey carparks on the southern light rail route to take pressure off side streets.
Mayor Tom Tate will unveil the plans for two park’n’ride facilities on Thursday which will add another 1668 spaces for vehicles in Palm Beach and Burleigh Heads.
The two complexes will be five levels each and will be built on the site of Alex Black Carpark, next to the Burleigh library and Palm Beach’s Joe Davidson carpark, which sits between 7th and 8th avenue.
Mr Tate said both would cost $35-40m.
“Based on what we have seen since light rail started in 2014, I’m confident patronage will continue to increase,” he said.
“To support the final two stages (3 and 4) I am proposing two purpose-built park ‘n’ ride facilities … one in Burleigh and one in Palm Beach.
“Both are on council land and both will provide additional parking.”
“The Joe Davidson facility has 149 spots on a single level. My proposal is for 709 spots across five levels.
“The Alex Black facility has 199 spaces and I propose a 949 space facility, set over five levels.”
If re-elected on Saturday, Mr Tate said he would take the project to full council to determine funding and whether it would need either state or federal support.
The designs are expected to be based on mixed-use carparks featured in Miami, Florida. It comes as both division candidates for Burleigh and Palm Beach have campaigned for more parking in the area.
Division 13 candidate Nikki Archer said she supported an investigation into more carparking at both Burleigh and Palm Beach.
She believes the best location at Burleigh was near Fradgley Hall Community Centre in Park Street. The extra parking was not just for light rail.
At Palm Beach, Ms Archer estimates at that at least 800 car parks could be lost if Stage 4 light rail goes ahead.
“We have to drive to the beach without public transport there. A car park is needed at Palm Beach,” she said.
Division 13 candidate Josh Martin said he supported more carparking, separate from the issue of light rail, given the growth in the suburbs.
“I obviously support the addition of carparking as a stand alone item, regardless of light rail,” he said.
“I’d particularly like to see a multistorey car park with some greenery around it, that it’s not adding to the concrete. It would add to the character of the suburb.
“Obviously with the growth, parking is a consistent issue. This would be a win for businesses and residents.”
The content summaries were created with the assistance of AI technology then edited and approved for publication by an editor.
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