Queensland Transport Minister Mark Bailey criticised over decision to drop in for a cuppa at cafe

Queensland Transport Minister Mark Bailey has been lashed online after this innocent picture backfired.

Queensland Transport Minister Mark Bailey has been roasted by Gold Coast locals after dropping in to a popular cafe for a cuppa – and not only snubbing them but getting the name of their suburb wrong.

A photo posted to Mr Bailey’s Instagram account showed him having a coffee at the al fresco Dune Cafe on the southern Glitter Strip.

“Dune Cafe at Currumbin always does excellent coffee … great to drop by this morning between things,” he posted with hashtags including #Currumbin and #CurrumbinCreek.

But while the cafe is on the banks of Currumbin Creek, it’s actually on the Gold Coast Highway in neighbouring Palm Beach, within the Palm Beach Parklands.

The blooper wasn’t lost on locals, many of whom are fiercely opposed to the state government’s plan, under Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, to extend the light-rail through Palm Beach and Currumbin to Gold Coast Airport at Coolangatta.

MP Mark Bailey has been roasted on social media after posting this picture on his Instagram account. Picture: Supplied

“It’s (Dune Cafe) in Palm Beach not Currumbin,” one person commented beneath Mr Bailey’s post.

“Not that you would know much about Palm Beach as you don’t show (your) face in the area. Just try to ruin it (with the light rail).”

Another wrote: “Will come to Palm Beach for a coffee but not for a community meeting (about the light rail)? Did you use the available public transport? I doubt it.”

Another person posted: “Hey Mark, why sneak into town and not meet with any local community groups or attend local community events. Let us know when you are free in the next six weeks and we’ll set up a southern GC community event and invite you along.”

Burleigh LNP MP Michael Hart, whose electorate takes in Palm Beach and is opposed to the proposed light-rail extension through the suburb, also called out Mr Bailey on Facebook.

“Seems Mark Bailey MP was in Palm Beach today ‘between things’,” he posted.

“He couldn’t attend our light-rail meetings or meet with flooded residents as we have been asking him to do and he didn’t bother letting me know he might be here.

“He has my mobile number. He only seems to want to meet with Labor-aligned groups so who was he meeting with? Does anybody know? Or is it a secret.”

Southern Gold Coast locals opposed to the light-rail extension fear it will worsen already chronic traffic jams on the Gold Coast Highway and ruin the iconic Burleigh Headland and Tallebudgera Creek.

Originally published as Queensland Transport Minister Mark Bailey criticised over decision to drop in for a cuppa at cafe