Gold Coast leaders Tom Tate, Donna Gates make the case for light rail to Gold Coast Airport

Mayor Tom Tate and senior councillors have likened completion of light rail south to the border to a pregnancy, saying it is ludicrous to stop at Burleigh. FULL STORY

Mayor Tom Tate and senior councillors have likened completion of light rail south to the border to a pregnancy, saying it is ludicrous to stop at Burleigh and the pain is worth the gain.

He has also taken a swipe at Palm Beach residents for being selfish in their opposition, and highlighted rarely spoken infrastructure gains from the project.

Mr Tate told councillors at a full council meeting after all but one supported City surveying showing majority support for the trams. Palm Beach representative Josh Martin was opposed.

The Mayor said if southern residents were so strongly opposed, they should have “jumped up and down” in 2010 to stop it from the beginning.

“It’s not really fair to the rest of us where we’ve worn it,” Mr Tate said, referring to residents in the northern divisions where Stages 1 and 2 were completed. Stage 3 from Broadbeach Burleigh is being finished.

“I had a resort (in Surfers Paradise) that people couldn’t get into it for months on end. I can show you the drop in revenue, but you know what, I voted for light rail because it was right thing do to for the city,” Mr Tate said.

“At the end of the day the gain is worth the pain. It’s a bit like pregnancy.”

Former Deputy Mayor Donna Gates backed the Mayor’s analogy: “You’ve often said you can’t be half pregnant. Stopping now is kind of like being half pregnant.

“This has always been one single project, spread into stages. Split into stages both for delivery and affordability.

“To stop now would be ludicrous. Especially when we have one million people a month using it.”

Mayor Tom Tate: “At the end of the day the gain is worth the pain. It’s a bit like pregnancy.” Picture: Matt Roberts/Getty Images for NBL

Mr Tate revealed a bonus from light rail construction rarely spoken about during tough street construction which impacted on residents and businesses.

He said the City had rarely highlighted how underground services were renewed and money was well spent for its 11 per cent funding contribution to the project.

“That is stormwater, sewerage and water. We even put in high fibre optics,” he said.

“So that from stage one two and three now, that underground service is brand new and will be there for another 50 years.

“For the south to miss out on renewal these new services, you are going to cop the breakdown of these services. Because they are at the end of life. They were at the end of life before.

“Each 10 years go past, whether it’s light rail or not, those roads will be dug up. That infrastructure for future generations, regardless of whether you are for light rail or not, you have to take that into consideration for renewal.

“Being a city that has the clean infrastructure underground along the whole city, people will look back and say we grabbed the opportunity.”

Councillor Donna Gates on light rail extending south from Burleigh: “You’ve often said you can’t be half pregnant. Stopping now is kind of like being half pregnant.”

Mr Tate questioned critics saying there was not enough room down the Palm Beach Gold Coast Highway route for trams.

“If you have a look at the width at Surfers Paradise, it is even smaller. If you can go through Surfers Paradise with light rail, you can go down to the airport,” he said.

City planning chair Mark Hammel took a political swipe at Burleigh MP Hermann Vorster, for criticising the City survey and urged his residents to opt for the Government consultation.

He said it was appropriate council had real data to give evidence based facts to go to the Government.

The research for council shows 77 per cent of respondents backed using the trams once Stage Four was completed to the airport. A majority (76 per cent) support extending the line to the airport, with only 15 per cent opposed.

City Planning chair and Deputy Mayor Mark Hammel. Picture: Glenn Hampson

Mr Hammel said: “I’ve been disappointed by the suggestion from some former councillors that somehow this survey is inferior or unwarranted. That’s been a disappointment.”

Mr Vorster hosted a light rail forum at Palm Beach on Wednesday night where a “straw poll” showed 98 per cent of the 430 people in the room were opposed to Stage Four light rail. At the meeting Community Alliance leader John Hicks called light rail a “trojan horse for overdevelopment”. Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie has said southern responses to state consultation will “be taken into more consideration”, sparking then Deputy Mayor Donna Gates to question its validity.

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Originally published as Gold Coast leaders Tom Tate, Donna Gates make the case for light rail to Gold Coast Airport