Light rail from Broadbeach to Burleigh causes parking chaos with 500 spots to be lost
A shocking number of parks will be lost to light rail forcing council to ramp up restricted parking. Find out where.
Gold Coast
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At least 500 parks will be lost to light rail on the new southern route from Broadbeach to Burleigh in a bombshell revelation which will force council to ramp up restricted parking.
A three-hour parking limit from 9am to 5pm will be introduced on weekdays on a 400m walking catchment along the entire Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3 corridor.
Councillor Daphne McDonald after 12 months of not getting answers, at a transport committee update asked officers for a figure on the loss of car parks on Stage 3.
City officers confirmed the number but admitted they were still working through design issues with the contractor. GoldlinQ regards final street parking as a council issue.
“There will be more than 500 spots lost. However, there are other spots that are being looked at (to open up parking),” an officer said.
“I think there are a few examples in Third and Fourth Avenue in Burleigh where we are trying to gain some more spots on the side streets.
“That’s probably one of the real important reasons (for new parking laws) – the demand for parking in that zone is going to be higher.
“We need to make sure we manage it effectively, and we have the turnover of spots and we encourage as many people as possible to use light rail and we encourage long-term parkers not to park in that area, clogging up the street for local residences and businesses and other users of the road.”
Cr McDonald described the car park losses as “massive”. She hopes developers will be required create two carparking spaces for unit owners in future developments.
Councillor Hermann Vorster who has met with residents complaining about the lack of parking questioned both the state government and City’s consultation process.
“My fear is that the community aren’t alert to the fact that there will be 500 fewer spaces in the area,” he said.
“I just worry because the community don’t know how much supply will ultimately be available – it a little bit disingenuous for us to ask them to make binding decisions concerning the way parking is managed in this precinct.”
Councillors at the meeting on Tuesday were split with a 4-3 vote supporting the City’s parking plans and proposed consultation.
Committee chair Pauline Young, Mark Hammel, William Owen-Jones and Darren Taylor backed the plans. Peter Young, Brooke Patterson and Cr Vorster voted against.
A report confirmed light rail Stage 3 would begin in 2025, forcing an increase in locals wanting long-term parking of more than nine hours and motorists seeking out residential streets.
Residents will be eligible for parking permits, but councillors voiced concerns about some being restricted because they had upgraded their own vehicle off-street access.
The City must undertake public consultation before introducing the law for the expanded traffic permit scheme. Residents next week will face a one-lane highway during construction.
Outside the meeting, Cr Vorster said he was “bitterly disappointed” with the rush to the local law amendment process.
“I would have thought we have time on the clock to work more collaboratively with residents and businesses along the third stage. And that we should have set the standard on engagement
given the low bar set by the state government,” he said.
“Locals are the ones whose homes and livelihoods will be most affected – and they should have maximum buy-in to the process.
“But it appears there will be only limited opportunities for them to temper or finesse the outcome to limit issues caused by the light rail.
“The loss of 500 parking spaces along the highway was a bombshell revelation, and I’m not
confident those participating in the ‘consultation’ will be alert to the reality they’re facing.”
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