Gold Coast Airport: Light rail and towers planned for massive terminal expansion
The Gold Coast gateway will have a light rail station, international hotels, expanded terminals and an outlet shopping precinct sooner than you’d think. Here’s where it’s going.
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THE Gold Coast gateway will have a light rail station, international hotels, expanded terminals and an outlet shopping precinct by the end of the decade, aviation bosses reveal.
Passengers will also be flying to new locations across Asia from Gold Coast Airport, possibly even India, and ultimately the US.
Airport bosses are expected to submit a 20-year masterplan to the federal government in 2024 for approval.
The 11ha Border Park site bought by Queensland Airports in recent years will be central to the airport diversifying its portfolio.
“I envisage in the next decade we will have new requirement for more hotels in the precinct to meet the demand from international tourists,” Queensland Airports boss Chris Mills said.
“Expect more retail and office developments around there as it becomes a hub for business.”
The 20-year masterplan will come off the back of a $500m upgrade that will be completed in mid-2022. It includes expanding the terminal by 30,000sq m, installation of four glass aerobridges, more retail space and a large departure lounge.
More than 6.5m people passed through the airport in 2019 before Covid crippled the tourism industry and cut patronage numbers by 99 per cent.
Airport data compiled pre-Covid anticipates the number of passengers will hit 16.6 million by the mid-2030s.
With the city’s population increasing at faster-than-forecast rates, Mr Mills said an expanded terminal would play a significant role in serving both tourists and the domestic population.
Mr Mills said the airport and Gold Coast tourism bosses intended to re-establish the city’s existing overseas routes to New Zealand and Asia before seeking out new destinations.
“Between now and then there will be new international and domestic services to the Gold Coast,” he said.
“We are already well-connected on that front but we see greater opportunity there.
“That reflects how the Gold Coast is a popular destination for tourists but also increasing for people to live and work.”
Destination Gold Coast CEO Patricia O’Callaghan said early talks were already underway to rebuild the city’s overseas connections.
“Aviation access will be a key driver for growing our visitor demand and discussions are already underway on this because overseas visitors were once worth $1.3bn for us,” she said.
“Southeast Asia is of particular importance and we know places like the US and Europe are searching for us, so there are real opportunities there.
“Consumer behaviour suggests that less stops the better – travellers want to go point-to-point post-Covid so new technology will allow for planes with a greater radius and improved accessibility.”
Mr Mills said the light rail connection was critical to the future success of the Gold Coast.
“The masterplan will set up the growth through to the 2040s and that will deal with the facilities, how we use the land, how the ground transport works,” he said.
“The focus will be on light rail first and we will work with the local, state and federal government on the best location for a station. That public transport connection will be important for us to be successful.
“We can, and do, invest a lot in the gateway to the Gold Coast but this needs good public transport connections and we need these now rather than in the future.”
‘NO CHANCE’: COAST FAST RAIL EXTENSION DUMPED
THE Prime Minister’s special envoy on the Olympics wants the train network expanded into his own area, because the bullet train pitched to run to the Gold Coast is off the table for 2032.
Sunshine Coast LNP MP Ted O’Brien wants the state government not to “squander the next few years” and build the new line from Beerwah into Maroochydore’s CBD, after Infrastructure Australia found the long-touted fast-rail project did not stack up.
“We know the Queensland government won’t agree to start building a new fast-rail network between Brisbane and Maroochydore so let’s not squander the next few years arguing about it and getting nothing done.”
Fast rail between Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast was touted as a major project that could be delivered ahead of the 2032 Olympic Games.
However, State Transport Minister Mark Bailey said there was virtually no chance high-speed rail would be built between Brisbane and the Gold Coast in time for the Games.
“In terms of ‘fast rail’ as people would think of it, that’s very unlikely,” he said. “We’ll be getting faster railway services than right now but we won’t be getting bullet trains, that’s for sure.”
Mr Bailey said train journeys on the existing heavy rail route would be shorter once the $350m duplication of the railway between Beenleigh and Kuraby was completed.
The state and federal governments are keen to extend the line from Varsity Lakes to Gold Coast Airport. Infrastructure Australia found the bullet train project non-viable.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, the state’s Olympics Minister, said her first priority for the Games was ensuring legislation establishing the organising committee passes parliament.
Under International Olympic Committee rules the committee must be legislated by December 21.
Mr O’Brien, who last month ruffled feathers within his own party by publicly criticising a perceived power grab by Ms Palaszczuk over the Brisbane 2032 organising committee, said the “clock is ticking” for the state and federal governments to start planning major infrastructure projects.
“Speed counts, the next 18 months are the most important for ensuring we create a lasting legacy from the Games.”
The Queensland and Commonwealth governments have agreed to a 50-50 funding split to build major infrastructure ahead of the 2032 Games.
Mr O’Brien said the governments must strike deals on major Olympic infrastructure projects and allow the private sector to follow with its investment.
“The planning and construction of these pieces of infrastructure takes years – we must start moving quickly. Our job should be to make the big decisions on infrastructure then get out of the way. Give the private sector certainty and comfort.”
Council of Mayors South East Queensland studies have found that by 2031, the combination of population and employment growth will significantly increase transport demand across the region and by 2041 all major road corridors will be over capacity.
Council of Mayors analysis found the existing levels of planning and investment “does not keep up with the projected population growth and future transport demand” and has launched a Let’s Get Moving campaign to highlight the need to start planning for the Games.
“Now the Games are locked in, we need to start developing a detailed plan on what investment and infrastructure we will need to ensure the Games deliver an economic and social dividend for all residents,” Council of Mayors chair and Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said.
He said the committee needed to “ask ourselves questions about the Games’ experience of visiting spectators, athletes and officials as well as how this infrastructure can continue to deliver for a growing region”.
“For example, if you’ve got tickets for gymnastics at Chandler in the morning and beach volleyball at Broadbeach in the afternoon, is it possible to build the infrastructure necessary so spectators can have this experience? And does making these investments deliver long-term benefits for residents and visitors so they can continue to travel around our region faster and safer?
“This is what we mean when we talk about legacy and what makes the opportunity of the Games so exciting.”
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