‘Load of bull’: Olympics win sparks bitter tram stoush
The 2032 Olympic Games announcement has lit a flame among light rail campaigners as a new group emerges to campaign in favour of the stage four extension. FULL DETAILS >>>
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THE 2032 Olympic Games announcement has lit a flame among residents either wanting to green light or red light the tram going south from Burleigh to the border.
A pro-tram group with more than 430 “likes” on its Facebook page has surfaced for the first time in the Gold Coast’s most volatile community debate.
Send Light Rail South is calling on tram users to make their voice be heard as the Coast lobbies for big-ticket items in the lead-up to the southeast Queensland Games.
“Too often, opponents to new infrastructure grab the megaphone and shoot projects down,” the community group of residents and public transport advocates said.
“Everyone misses out as a result, the infrastructure backlog grows, and it makes governments averse to proposing anything in the future.”
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Anti-light rail petitioner Karen Rowles fired back on the page with a series of posts, saying: “What a load of bull you guys are trying to sell. This is nothing but a GCCC Facebook page with loads of lies on it.”
Send Light Rail South maintains protesters are making false claims that a future tram line, at least 22m from the Tallebudgera Creek Bridge, would destroy the historic fish trap.
“Are the protesters being truthful,” they wrote, providing a list of facts on the project.
Meanwhile, the Save Our Southern Gold Coast (SOSGC) group, which opposes light rail heading south on the coastal route, regards the Olympic confirmation as a “gamechanger”.
SOSGC has called on the government to redirect light rail to Olympic venues such as Robina and Metricon stadiums, and abandon Stage 4 from Burleigh to the border.
The group has produced artwork that shows the worst possible Olympic outcome for its supporters – the southern Coast becoming a high-rise mecca branded “Grand Burleigh Canyon”.
SOSGC leader Kath Down told the Bulletin: “This (announcement) presents itself as a gamechanger to redirect light rail to Olympic venues that will need it such as Robina Olympic
village, Cbus and Metricon stadiums. Those venues are not connected by light rail, and this should be the priority.”
“We are not against light rail as such but are totally opposed to having it carve up the southern Gold Coast Highway. There is a better way of creating public transport without the cost and carnage.
“We also believe that now is the time to bring back heavy rail and extend the line from Varsity to Gold Coast Airport on the M1 in time for the Olympics.”
JULY 14: ‘HE’S SCARED OF US’: RESIDENTS DARE TRANSPORT MINISTER TO FACE THEM
SOUTHERN Gold Coast residents have called on Transport Minister Mark Bailey to face the public at ongoing light rail community consultation sessions.
A Bulletin report yesterday revealed tram opponents had been told to “behave” or the unprecedented consultation on stage four would be shut down.
Residents at the first consultation session on Monday were overhead demanding Mr Bailey’s whereabouts.
Resident Lorrie Cox said: “I think he’s scared of us.
“I’m really passionate about this. I live in an over-50s complex, the stations are too far apart and the residents will never make it.
“We should be keeping everything local, we should be having Burleigh electric buses, not outdated trams that destroy everything.”
A source from the Minister’s office told the Bulletin Mr Bailey was attending morning meetings in Brisbane.
“(The meetings) are every Monday,” they said.
“We just want people to go along and attend the consultation.
“Go and learn about the project. That’s all we ask.”
Save Our Southern Gold Coast President Kath Down says the TMR’s community consultations sessions are a glossy marketing exercise of concept design plans.
She said the public transport network would work just as well without the Light Rail by using Hydrogen Electric Solar Buses instead.
“Our first impressions is that this is a slick marketing exercise that cannot conceal major environmental devastation at both Burleigh and Currumbin Headland, single lanes for Palm Beach, and other chaos to traffic routes,” she said.
“Our position has not changed.
“We want what’s best for the Southern Gold Coast and what TMR have proposed will change our social environment forever.
“What we are saying is, these concept plans and designs would work just as well without light rail and could be used for Hydrogen Solar Electric buses without the cost and creating environmental damage.”
“TMR made it clear that light rail and heavy rail will not work together on the M1 due to service roads west of Palm Beach.
“(The service roads) are to be built to direct traffic off Gold Coast highway to the M1 owing to the single lane design for Palm Beach on Gold Coast Highway.”
TRAM OPPONENTS WARNED TO BEHAVE
TRAM opponents have been warned to behave or light rail stage four consultation will be shut down as speculation increases about the cost of the project.
The Department of Transport and Main Roads during the next three weeks will conduct consultation on the planned Burleigh Heads to Coolangatta section of the track.
Sessions start on Monday at 10am at the Tallebudgera Leisure Centre on the Gold Coast Highway at Palm Beach.
Residents have begun arriving and a security guard was on standby to greet them. But there was no sign of an early protest.
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A tram opponent told the Bulletin: “We were told (by senior transport officials) that if there is disruption or agitation, if people start protesting down there, they will shut it down.
“If it starts getting abusive, if it gets out of control, they are not going to take that flak.”
Gaven MP and Palaszczuk Government Minister Meaghan Scanlon on radio ABC 91.7 on Monday urged residents to use the opportunity to see details of light rail plans.
“I think this is a really good opportunity for people to have a look at some of that detail and provide important community feedback,” she said.
Like any big infrastructure project, consultation was part of the process and ensured the final plans “fitted with the local scenery”.
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“This is really the opportunity for southern Gold Coasters to tell us their views on what’s been proposed to date and their might be some modifications on that feedback.”
Save Our Southern Gold Coast president Kath Down, after the new group launched its website sosgc.org.au, has speculated on the cost of the project.
“So far, the cost of the project outweighs the benefits. Currently Stage 3 — Broadbeach to Burleigh — is estimated to be $1.2 billion and is rumoured to be under budget with the contract yet to be properly signed off causing the delay on construction,” she told the Bulletin.
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“We do not know the cost of Stage 4 until the business plan is completed, but you would have to imagine it would cost twice as much again as Stage 3 given all the obstacles in its way.
“We think that informed debate is the way to go and believe in what we stand for and are confident that we can successfully present a solid argument which we will deliver to the Queensland State Government and City of Gold Coast Council.
“We would very much like the opportunity of sitting down with Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate to outline our plan.”
Cr Tate welcomed the start of community consultation but cautioned against listening to the “noisy minority” of anti-tram activists in Palm Beach.
“I support the best solution which is getting to, and from, the airport seamlessly,” he said.
“If you have concerns, please get out there to the sessions and you’ll feel much better about it getting information rather than misinformation.
“It’s no secret that a minority of people in Palm Beach do not like it and for them, you could serve them a caesar salad and they’ll say they don’t like anchovies.
“But to the majority of Palm Beach, when I got down there they say they love it, with or without anchovies.
“I think we’ve played the political football game, we’re all bored of it. Let’s just get on with it.”
PREVIOUSLY: MP MAKES ‘LABOR STOOGES’ CLAIM
THE southern anti-light rail protest campaign is divided after a shock Facebook post by Burleigh MP Michael Hart accusing a new group of being Labor stooges.
Mr Hart, on his Facebook page, revealed he was “suspicious” of the new Save Our Southern Gold Coast group, and he accused its leader Kath Down along with strategist Andrew McKinnon of being linked to the Australian Labor Party (ALP).
Ms Down and Mr McKinnon through their surf environmental work are close friends with Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew who stood for Labor in a tough campaign against Mr Hart during the 2020 State election.
Mr Hart, who has long opposed light rail going south via a coastal route and instead diverting inland along the M1, posted: “The only MPs and councillors this group won’t attack are all aligned to the Labor Government who are bringing Light Rail to Palm Beach.”
He added “miraculously this group will be able to organise a meeting” with Transport Minister Mark Bailey and convince Labor to appear to change its position on the eve of the 2024 poll.
“Miraculously a Labor candidate will emerge from this group to run at the next State election and maybe council. If Labor win the 2024 election, Light Rail stage four will be back on track through Palm Beach. Colour me cynical but this is classic Labor playbook at work,” he wrote.
Mr McKinnon, who had a recent medical scare, in a post on Mr Hart’s page wrote: “Hi Michael, what are you trying to do, give me another heart attack lol (sic) no politics let’s stick to the point of No (sic) light rail on GC (sic) Highway.”
He later added that SOSGC was a “non-for-profit, apolitical organisation” advised by highly qualified environmental scientists and planners and it supported a rapid bus system using solar energy rather than outdated trams along the Gold Coast Highway to the airport.
Ms Down told the Bulletin: “Definitely I’m not affiliated (with Labor) and have no intention of being affiliated with any political party. Rabbit is a friend of mine, he lives in this area, he loves this area. I trust that he (if elected as the MP) would do the right thing with the area. Pure and simple.”
She said it was “utter garbage” for her to be branded “a Labor Party person” and her involvement in the new group was to help preserve the southern Coast’s special lifestyle.
But Mr Hart is convinced Ms Down and Mr McKinnon will get an audience with Mr Bailey because they both had helped manage Mr Bartholomew’s election campaign.
“They may well have more luck getting to Bailey. Bailey has refused to talk to me and the community. I’ll work with anybody,” Mr Hart told the Bulletin.
“I’m not worried about somebody from that group running against me, there will be a candidate one way or another. My concern is that the Labor Party might be using this group as a front to promote a candidate by making them look more effective than they actually are.”
Anti-light rail petitioner Karen Rowles on Mr Hart’s Facebook also posted, saying Ms Down had confirmed she would not be running against the MP or Cr Daphne McDonald.
“So I supported her SOSGC launch yesterday. I’m praying we are all working together to divert light rail from Jellurgal and Tallbudgera Creek, and not for political ambitions,” she wrote.
Ms Rowles said she had received a personal invitation from Ms Down to attend the group’s launch and was “asked to bring with me my supporters and our Trams Outta Palmy corflutes”.
Originally published as ‘Load of bull’: Olympics win sparks bitter tram stoush
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