Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate tells ‘nimby’ light rail critics to ‘stick to the facts’

GOLD Coast light rail “nimbys” have been told to “stick to the facts” as Mayor Tom Tate reveals a detour west around Burleigh could cost an extra $1 billion. VOTE IN OUR POLL

MAYOR Tom Tate has told “nimby” light rail critics to “stick to the facts” saying a detour west down to the airport would add $1 billion to construction costs.

Cr Tate has rejected a push to send the light rail west after it reaches Burleigh saying it would substantially increase the time taken to arrive at Gold Coast International Airport.

According to Gold Coast City Council numbers, the detour could run to just over a billion with the detour west, to the north of Burleigh adding up to 15 extra kilometres to the light rail build.

With a cost of $70 million a kilometre, the extra cost would skyrocket by $1 billion.

The track change north of Burleigh to Robina is expected to add an extra 7-8 kilometres to the journey alone.

While a link from Robina to Coolangatta via the airport is estimated to add 21 kilometres.

In comparison, a direct line down the Gold Coast Highway from Burleigh to Coolangatta is anticipated to run at 14 kilometres.

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Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate at the opening of the Stage 2 of the Gold Coast light rail (glink) Picture: Jerad Williams.

“Nimby attitudes make me sick,” Mayor Tom Tate said.

“When stage one of light rail came through Surfers Paradise in 2011, I know businesses who lost driveway access as a result of this infrastructure. In fact, I was one of them yet our business did not make a single complaint as we saw the long term benefit of light rail,” Mr Tate said.

Despite the petitions against the route, the Mayor said a 2015 survey saw an “overwhelming majority call for the southern light rail route to go direct from Broadbeach down the Gold Coast Highway”.

Artists impressions of the Gold Coast light rail extension to the airport as released in the airport's draft master plan. PHOTO: Supplied

The 2015 survey attracted 3606 submissions with 79 per cent supporting the route heading south from Broadbeach to Burleigh.

A total of 70 per cent of the 3606 supported the route then going direct, following the Gold Coast Highway, from Burleigh to the airport and on to Coolangatta.

“People in authority need to respect ratepayer, and taxpayer funds,” he said.

“This suggestion of a longwinded western route for the light rail would be an absolute abuse of taxpayer funds and anyone who can even suggest that an additional expenditure of hundreds of millions of dollars is somehow good for the hardworking ratepayer needs to seriously reconsider their position,” he said.

Mayor Tom Tate during the launch of a 2015 survey in Coolangatta, encouraging residents to have their say on the extension of the light rail to the southern and western suburbs of the Gold Coast. Greg Betts, Daphne McDonald (Palm Beach Cr), Chris Robbins and Mayor Tom Tate look over the proposals. Picture by Scott Fletcher

But State member for Burleigh Michael Hart has this morning questioned the numbers that backed the Mayor’s plan.

“The mayor’s mandate I thought was on a cruise ship terminal, how’s that working out for him?” Mr Hart asked.

Mr Hart argued the 2015 council consultation didn’t specify the route enough for residents to make an informed decision.

“How could residents comment?” he said.

“We don’t know where they want it to go once it reaches Currumbin Creek but it looks like it goes out to the M1 anyway. It also didn’t consider different routes and offered no alternatives,” Mr Hart said.

“Is it right that 3000 people mostly from north GC decide on what’s best for us on the southern end or 10000 people who now responded to a paper petition, a Parliament online petition and change.org petition?” Mr Hart said.

Mayor Tom Tate pictured at the Gold Coast Airport announcing the Light rail to the Airport. Picture Mike Batterham

Mr Hart argued a light rail down the M1 from Varsity will be cheaper if it’s constructed as part of the $2b widening of the M1.

“You know build it all at once and save costs,” he said.

“I am saying let’s do a business case both ways take into account the M1 widening works, slip roads etc and see where that puts us,” he said.

A light rail option to Varsity railway station originally proposed as part of the GCC consultation. PHOTO: Supplied.