Labor frontbencher and Mayor Tom Tate expose Burleigh MP Hermann Vorster backflip on light rail

Burleigh MP Hermann Vorster is being accused of a huge political backflip on the trams - after his fervent support for extending light rail south to the airport while he was a city councillor.

Burleigh MP Hermann Vorster is being accused of a political backflip on extending trams south on the eve of hosting a town hall meeting on light rail Stage Four to the airport.

Mr Vorster, when a long serving Robina councillor, backed Mayor Tom Tate on fast forwarding the southern tram route.

Burleigh MP Hermann Vorster says the State Government's review into light rail Stage Four is the proper surveying on the trams.

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.

Only veteran councillors Bob La Castra and Daphne McDonald voted against the fourth stage.

Opposition transport spokesperson Bart Mellish said Mr Vorster had “done a bigger backflip than Peter Dutton on working from home when it comes to light rail”.

“He went from voting in support of light rail Stage Four by 2032 as a Gold Coast City councillor, to outright opposing the project now David Crisafulli had appointed him as an Assistant Minister,” Mr Mellish said.

“I hope Hermann Vorster gets a seat the next time he travels on the light rail because he doesn’t stand for anything.”

Mr Mellish called on Mr Vorster to tell Gold Coasters “what he really thinks about light rail”.

“The only certainty is if the LNP scrap light rail Stage Four on the back of their sham survey, Hermann Vorster’s legacy will be bulldozing the Burleigh Heads Bowls Club and parklands to build a bus depot,” he said.

But Mr Vorster, hosting a light rail information meeting at Palm Beach Share and Care from 6.30pm on Wednesday, says his focus as an MP is on Burleigh.

Some residents on his official Facebook page have asked “isn’t this a foregone conclusion that the LNP is against” light rail Stage Four - fearing anti-tram protesters will dominate debate.

Opposition transport spokesperson Bart Mellish — calling on Hermann Vorster “to tell Gold Coasters what he really thinks about light rail”. Picture: David Clark.

Mr Vorster said he enjoyed being a councillor but responsibility now was his electorate.

“Having door knocked the entire electorate, locals made it clear they want to be heard on public transport options, and I won’t apologise for listening,” he said.

“We’re doing exactly what we promised and that is to pause the project and deliver a fresh consultation and if Labor can’t understand it shows they’re still not listening.”

The calling out of Mr Vorster’s political flipflop comes after more than three quarters of Gold Coast residents say they will use light rail when built south to the airport. The research for Gold Coast City Council shows 77 per cent of respondents backed using the trams once Stage Four was completed. A majority (76 per cent) support extending the line to the airport, with only 15 per cent opposed.

Consultants Insightfully conducted the survey of 1000 residents in January, before the State Government announced it was stalling Stage Four to conduct its own review and exploring a bus option.

Mr Vorster said on Tuesday: “I support council carrying out surveys but it’s important the surveys provide useful information. It was a missed opportunity for council not to align the survey with the mandate that was delivered by southern Gold Coasters at the last election which was to give people the option to nominate alternate routes and modes.”

Mayor Tate has not met with his former colleague to discuss transport options but remains confident a solution will be found. He admitted being disappointed by Mr Vorster’s criticism of council’s own recent polling on light rail where the MP suggested residents should support the government surveying.

“When Hermann was the councillor for Division 11 he voted in favour of light rail on many occasions including the provision of hundreds of millions of dollars of funding through Council budget processes,” Mr Tate said. “I appreciate this is a difficult political issue for our southern State MPs, but Hermann’s previous strong support of light rail gives me confidence that like the Premier, he knows something must be done to resolve the gridlock that is already occurring at peak times and will only get worse as the city grows.”

Map showing the route for light rail Stage Four on the Gold Coast.

Mr Vorster has repeatedly rejected Labor’s claims saying the bowls club will remain operating.

Burleigh Bowls Club general manager Justin O’Donnell has added: “Hermann fully supports our Bowls Club. We’re delighted that it will be protected.”

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Originally published as Labor frontbencher and Mayor Tom Tate expose Burleigh MP Hermann Vorster backflip on light rail