Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3A to start soon after securing extra Federal Government funding

Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3A to start soon after securing extra Federal Government funding
Alastair TaylorNovember 20, 2019

The third stage of the Gold Coast's light rail project has been approved after securing extra Federal funding to the tune of $157 million. The total Federal Government contribution to the project will total $269 million with the Queensland Government set to contribute $351 million and the Gold Coast City Council contributing $89 million. From the existing southern terminus at Broadbeach, the Stage 3A extension will utilise the Gold Coast Highway median and include an extra 8 stops along the 7km of new tram track to be built.

Upon completion, Mermaid Beach, Miami and Burleigh Heads will be connected to Broadbeach, Surfers Paradise, Southport, and the tram-train interchange at Helensvale by rail for the first time.

A media release from the Prime Minister and Queensland Premier states that the project will create more than 760 jobs during construction.

The investment in the Gold Coast Light Rail extension project sits beside other initiatives in Queensland including the Federal government contributing $50 billion to the relocation of Loganlea station as well as various road upgrades around the state.

There are several projects already in the pipeline along the path of the light rail extension project.

Together Mermaid Beach, Miami and Burleigh Heads have several apartment and townhouse projects either underway or waiting for the go-ahead, including the multi-tower Elegance project located at the existing Broadbeach South light rail terminus and the Sandbar Burleigh project that is located near the new Christine Avenue stop.

Not to be outdone by other suburbs, the bulk of the Gold Coast's pipeline of higher-density residential and commercial projects are located in the arc spanning Southport, Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.  

No specific start dates for the extension project were mentioned in media releases from the various levels of government but funding will flow 'immediately' and local Queensland media are reporting the likely start for the extension will be in 2020 with a 3-year construction timeframe. 

Lead image credit: wikipedia

Alastair Taylor

Alastair Taylor is a co-founder of Urban.com.au. Now a freelance writer, Alastair focuses on the intersection of public transport, public policy and related impacts on medium and high-density development.

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