Palm Beach residents vent about trams telling State Government to consider buses or heavy rail
A public forum on light rail to Gold Coast Airport hosted by the LNP state government had 98 per cent of attendees all voting one way - but one lone voice rallied against the majority.
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About 98 per cent of residents who attended a light rail information session organised by the State Government at Palm Beach have opposed the trams heading south to the border.
The “straw poll’ of about 430 people who packed the Palm Beach Share and Care centre on Wednesday night showed only a handful of pro-light rail supporters turned up.
It is in stark contrast to a Gold Coast council survey citywide which found 77 per cent of Gold Coasters want to see the tram system completed all the way to the southern border and Gold Coast Airport.
The forum where Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie answered questions, was hosted by Burleigh MP Hermann Vorster and Currumbin MP Laura Gerber who vowed before last year’s State poll to consult the community putting a “pause button” on Stage Four light rail.
Residents who lined up to speak at a microphone told them:
* heavy rail was a “better investment” because “someone from Helensvale won’t catch light rail to the airport”.
* concerns about cost blowouts with the project would require $7 billion in funding.
* buses offered more stops and the existing system on the coastal strip worked.
* environment should be a priority along with protecting Burleigh headland.
* previous inquiries into Stage Three from Broadbeach to Burleigh were a “sham”.
* trade for small businesses along Stage Three led to 30 to 50 per cent of trade being lost.
Community Alliance leader John Hicks was applauded when he warned light rail was the “trojan horse for overdevelopment on the southern Gold Coast”.
“We do not want to see Gold Coast light rail Stage Four facilitating the extension of a Surfers Paradise-Broadbeach concrete monoculture all the way to Coolangatta,” he said.
Mr Hicks said light rail was not delivering affordable housing stock to the community with new apartment towers catering for the high end market.
“For regional public transport - identify the heavy rail extension from Varsity Lakes to the Gold Coast Airport as a top priority into the SEQ regional plan,” he said.
Save Our Southern Gold Coast leader Kath Down questioned the objectivity of the recent council survey which showed 77 per cent city wide support for trams to the airport.
Anti-light rail campaigner Karen Rowles did not ask questions, but met with supporters and was acknowledged by Mr Vorster as she sat in the front row taking videos.
Steve Harrison, among a handful who spoke in the favour of the coastal route, believes that improvements could be made. He added that 93 million people had used the tram which takes a million passenger trips per month and growing.
“Not building the connection to Coolangatta is like not building the south Brisbane connection to the M1,” he said.
But a Burleigh businessman said: “If you can you visualise, you will not get westbound to beach side of the highway for three years to five years, there might be one or two crossings where you can walk to the beach.”
Councillor Josh Martin said his personal view as area councillor was for further consultation.
Mr Vorster who was applauded at meeting’s end telling residents: “I want to give you an ironclad guarantee, you have not been heard up until this point. You now have a government that will make your voice be heard.”
Mr Bleijie admitted “tonight was about listening” and agreed there were a few in support but many against light rail.
“Now what we do, we will take that feedback, people can still submit over the next couple of weeks and then we will assess and find the best solution for the people of the Gold Coast,” he said.
Asked how long the pause button would be on the project, he replied: “Well, the pause button is on light rail Stage Four until we make a decision to unpause it and that will be once get all the feedback from the community as we did tonight, the assessments take place, the assessments will take time.”
In late 2022, Mr Vorster was among a majority of councillors who backed Mr Tate’s move for early design and construction of bridges across Currumbin and Tallebudgera creeks once Stage Three to Burleigh was completed.
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