Together with Tom Tait 87% of people want heavy rail extended from Varsity Lakes the border, according to the latest reader poll in the GC Bulletin.
But he said he believes the savings allow for a heavy rail connection to the airport to be considered.
Doesn’t matter. Government says there is no capacity to support new rail projects not already in procurement until after the Olympics. Whether that is actually true or not, that is their position. Nothing will happen unless the government changes in 2028.
Why do you say that a change of government would guarantee and bring forward HR to OOL. They haven’t done much on an extension in the past.
I think he’s saying that “the only chance of it changing pre-Olympics is a change of government” which is different from saying “a change of government will definitely bring change”. At least that’s how I read it.
Correct. There’s bugger all difference in it, but it is certain nothing will happen on Varsity Lakes to Coolangatta by 2032 with this mob. It is unlikely anything will happen for some time after that even if there is a change of government in 2028, but it will be substantially more likely any sort of light rail expansion happens.
Well…. Be good if they finish the heavy rail to cooly and redirect glink stage 4 from burleigh heads to tallebudgera railway station as it would still have glink meets both ends at train stations with other end being helensvale
As much as I dislike the current government, I suspect they’re correct re: any more rail before 2032. Keep in mind, we still have CRR underway, then LGCFR, Beerburrum to Beerwah, and DSCRL to Birtinya, so there’s a lot going on in the next 8 years.
Not to mention other Olympics-related construction projects that will require plant and labour. All this while in the middle of a housing crisis.
Agreed.
Disagree. Stage 4 still needs to go to Coolangatta, we just need a change of government to achieve it.
This is what concerns me. Progress seems to be very slow. It is now less than 7 years before the games.
That’s completely anecdotal that a change of government will accelerate efforts for HR to OOL. Budgets are every year, therefore they could allocate money towards a business case or something more in the next couple of years for the project, considering it was also mentioned at the LNP convention this year.
As Cross River Rail is completed over the next 1-2 years there will likely be spare capacity within that construction sector to consider new projects other than The Wave.
If the LNP had any intention of accelerating efforts to extend HR to OOL, I feel they would have said as much as part of the LR4 canning.
First thing I did upon hearing the news was contact the Miles team again;
They’re keen to still do GCLR 4, We just have to hope there isn’t anything built in the corridor.
Just noticed the train line and proposed stage 4 past Tallebudgera creek was only a km or 2 away but defs within 2km radius even if the nimbys dont want tram in the pbc and move closer to HR corridor, would be only 500m apart give or take
What are you arguing here? That having cancelled one capital intensive project because they claim the State doesn’t have the capacity to do it in the next 10-15 years, the current government will commit to another one that is more expensive and less useful?
It’s not a good idea to send the light rail to Tallebudgera for many, many reasons. That it would only further enable those in Palm Beach who wouldn’t catch a bus even at gunpoint is the least of those.
PBC got Elanora station which is approx a km away or catch a bus to burleigh ?
Really think the stage 4 corridors still need to stay preserved for future conversion.
Agreed.
With the state of the construction industry, I expect when we see a heavy rail extension it is going to probably only get to Elanora initially. I’m of 2 minds about whether it is actually worth doing Tallebudgera. There’s nearly no benefit for Burleigh and surrounds compared to having Varsity Lakes already there and very little prospect of any intensification of development where the Tallebudgera station site would be given the surrounding land uses and geography. As it is, the Varsity Lakes station precinct is still completely dead 16 years after it opened.
Agreed re: VL. It seems to have two purposes: a park’n’ride, and a bus interchange. Walk-up patronage is close to non-existent.
A result of having the station situated at the wrong end of the suburb - similar issue to Nerang and Ormeau, unfortunately.
