Gold Coast Public Transport (incl Light Rail Projects)

[Tyson]

I think what he meant was..

Originally Posted by brizguy

"Tosca Z Posted At 4:40pm today
It is not the rail, but its location that is a major issue. For heaven's sake, why does it need to go in the middle of a busy commercial area somewhere useful?, costing small businesses along that street a great deal of business, if not their businesses altogether? Who on earth puts a rail at the doorsteps of hundreds of small businesses? where people want to go? And by the way, it is despicable to threaaten huge tax payer costs if council rethinks this stupid plan."

I can never tell If these are serious or not :p

[mw123]

It angers me that there is such a backlash to what I would have thought to be an absolute no brainer transport solution for the Gold Coast. With the Commonwealth Games just awarded, it is even more imperative that this is built right away! Grrrrrr....

[nathandavid88]

Of course it's a no brainer solution! However, the no brainer solution for a vocal minority of Gold Coast NIMBYs is to build more roads and more carparking! What a great idea that is! Putting even more cars on the roads! How can we lose???

[38921111]

the time for debate has passed. the plans have already been finalised, contracts have already been let, construction has already commenced..... these people are stupid.

[Fabian]

Ron Clarke calls for free public transport during rapid transit construction.

Nine Gold Coast News/NBN News (29/2/2012): http://www.nbnnews.com.au/index.php/...-transit-pain/

[Dimethyltryptamine]

Push to fast-track light rail 24/7

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/...oast-news.html

GOLD Coast city leaders are pushing to see the construction of the light rail in Surfers Paradise fast-tracked by six months on a round-the-clock timetable.

Yesterday one of the city's most powerful lobby groups -- the Heart of the City Advisory Committee -- proposed an around-the-clock construction roster to see work finished by December to help ease the pain for local traders.

The group -- which includes some of the Coast's most influential people -- will put the recommendation to light rail developer GoldLinQ, as well as the Gold Coast City Council.

The motion comes as the anti-light rail movement continues to bang on doors, demanding the whole project be shut down.

Former Division 7 councillor, light rail supporter and local landholder Max Christmas -- who put forward the motion -- said stopping the project was not the answer.

The deputy of the Heart of the City Committee said fast-tracking the project would help ease the pain traders along the Glitter Strip were anticipating.

Countries around the world -- including Japan and China -- work round the clock to speed up the delivery of projects to benefit the community.

Mr Christmas said he had spoken with GoldLinQ CEO Phil Mumford about the possibility and was under the impression it could be achieved.

The basis of the recommendation relies on the accommodation providers -- mainly The Hilton and Chevron Renaissance -- agreeing with the new timetable as they would be most affected.

Mr Christmas said he had been working on a program to help the precinct for the past seven months.


"I would love to see it finished when the Cavill Mall redevelopment is completed in October," said Mr Christmas.

"I was told it can be fast-tracked and I made a promise I would get that done -- it is a must."

Councillor Susie Douglas, also on the committee, said she supported the move to help ease the pressure businesses would face.

She said the recommendation was to work around the clock from Sunday through to Thursday, excluding the busiest nights.

DBI Design and committee chairperson Barry Lee said the idea behind seeing the construction fast-tracked was to help the precinct, particularly for those between Elkhorn and Cavill avenues.

Mr Lee said the committee had lobbied for the re-routing of the light rail from Ferny Avenue to Surfers Paradise Boulevard and had been actively involved in the foreshore master plan.

GoldLinQ said it was "continually looking" for ways to accelerate the efficient delivery of its construction program.

[nathandavid88]

Finally, a sensible idea! Minimise the amount of time it will affect Surfers' businesses, and deliver the project sooner! Win win!

[Macca-GC]

Originally Posted by nathandavid88

Finally, a sensible idea! Minimise the amount of time it will affect Surfers' businesses, and deliver the project sooner! Win win!

Just what I was thinking. It's about time someone with a serious profile got up to argue in favour of the project!!!

[Dimethyltryptamine]

Ugh, the comments. I want to line all these fuck heads up and blow them to bits.

Is this a joke? The toy train is disruptive enough as is. Now they want to work all night? How are we supposed to sleep!!! Scrap this expensive white elephant NOW!

Scrap the project and instead build a monorail. Stop living and thinking in the past, Aussies - we're not talking about 20-year old monorails like Seaworld and the Casino here. Building a monorail means less interruption during construction and when it's finished, the trains whisk you from point A to B above the congested traffic, what a selling point and incentive for people to use it. It'll also be cheaper to build as you don't have to dig up and re-route cables, sewage & water infrastructure.

TJ, how does a dinky toy train system, that starts nowhere and ends nowhere and will carry next to no-one, qualify as progress?

I say scrap the whole thing. It was a bad deceision made by the soon to be replaced bad council. Better to spare the new council of dealing with poor deceisions not of their making.

[castrovalva]

Then once it's built and they're using it, they'll all say things like "Great idea this. I supported it all along..."

[historyworks]

Originally Posted by Dimethyltryptamine

Ugh, the comments. I want to line all these fuck heads up and blow them to bits.

I understand the Flat Earth Society is headquartered on the Gold Coast.

[SoulvisionQ1]

Those GC Bulletin comments certainly does suggest that.

[OneMelbGuy]

Is anyone here on the Coast and can upload some recent pics of the works?

[Piko]

Originally Posted by OneMelbGuy

Is anyone here on the Coast and can upload some recent pics of the works?

I do

I am a bit lazy though, so its unlikely

[Dimethyltryptamine]

^am in the same boat. I'll try do something soon. can't guarantee it though. don't really feel like walking through southport with a camera. lol

[Macca-GC]

Honestly, there's not a lot of work being done at the moment. It's largely been site clearing. Now that all the early works are done, Goldlinq has only just taken control of the corridor. As I understand, sections of the central reservation through Southport will be returned to centre parking until construction actually reaches that section.

[Birkish Delight]

I was there on Saturday and the corridor just looked like a wide street, that was recently resurfaced. Doesn't look like there's much happening.

[nathandavid88]

Even though works are still happening, there's still nothing really notable to see apart from the shell at the Uni and Hospital. And if these idiots have their way, that's how it would remain

Call for candidates to attend light rail rally

| 09:00am April 11, 2012

GOLD Coast MPs and city council candidates have been challenged to attend a citizens' forum tonight to explain why the light rail project should be allowed to continue.

Citizens' alliance Surfers Paradise Against Trams and Gold Coast Residents and Ratepayers Association spokesman Gordon Douglas said ratepayers should seriously question the light rail project's long-term economic impact.

"The Gold Coast can't afford the unnecessary luxury of an economically unsustainable light rail system,'' Mr Douglas said.

"The recently released Queensland Treasury Corporation Gold Coast City Council credit review revealed council is on track for a debt explosion to reach $1 billion within five years.

"That is unsustainable.''

Mr Douglas said with rates rising 8 per cent annually on top of increased living costs, it was time to look at axing projects to bring the city's budget back into surplus.

"Older Gold Coast residents can no longer afford to stay in homes they bought decades ago because they can't afford to pay their rates and other increasing charges and we can't let that situation get any worse.''

Mr Douglas said the light rail project would only further exacerbate the city's debt crisis.

"The light rail along with other ''zombie'' projects must be urgently reviewed,'' he said.

"We have delivered submissions to the Premier, the Treasurer, the Minister for Transport and local Members of Parliament urging them to conduct a review and a thorough cost benefit analysis before any more public money is invested in what could turn out to be just another unaffordable white elephant.''

"We also challenge Gold Coast MPs and council candidates to a public meeting tonight at the Gold Coast Arts Centre to explain to the community why the light rail project should proceed and whether they support saddling their constituents with further unsustainable debt.''

The public forum on the future of the light rail will be held at 6pm tonight at the Gold Coast Arts Centre.

Source: Gold Coast Bulletin

[OneMelbGuy]

If I was them I'd keep the whingers quieter by scheduling the central Surfers works only after everything else was complete. Esp given they're currently digging up the Mall. Apparently the new surface is to be 'stencilled asphalt'. Class.

[Dimethyltryptamine]

It gets better......

Light-rail haters resort to native title

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/...-election.html


Land at Sundale Bridge belonged to the Kombumerri people.


LIGHT rail protesters are hoping to utilise native title to white-ant the $1 billion Gold Coast project.

But the move has been criticised by an elder of the Aboriginal people of the area.

The land in question is a 200m stretch south of the Sundale bridge in front of the Paradise Waters estate which traditionally belonged to the Kombumerri people.

Division 7 candidate Lex Bell said he had been first to propose the plan to use native title, but said it had since been taken up by the Residents and Ratepayers Association Gold Coast, which organised a rally against the project last Wednesday.

He said the association had two lawyers from within the group examining a current native title claim on the Gold Coast.

"It's a complex legal issue. Whether or not the light rail people have to comply depends on whether native title has been extinguished," he said.

Mr Bell denied it was a cynical move for a group with no Aboriginal connections to claim native title for its own benefit.

"Everyone is required to fulfil the law," he said.

"It may well be that the native people themselves have an objection if it's drawn to their attention."

Residents and Ratepayers Association Gold Coast president Tom Bleier did not return calls from the Bulletin yesterday.

Kombumerri elder Uncle Graham Dillon, 80, said while people without indigenous heritage could make native title claims he did not like people using it to `feather their own nests'.

"I'm totally opposed to it," he said.

"Native title is the most wretched instrument ever devised."

He said he was opposed to the light rail running through Surfers Paradise because of the disruption the construction could cause businesses, but a native title claim to stop it was very unlikely to succeed.

"That land is all extinguished from native title because it's all reclaimed land," he said.

"I remember them cutting the mangroves there down to fill in what was known as Shark's Bay.

"As soon as that land is altered it becomes extinguished by native title."

A National Native Title Tribunal spokeswoman confirmed there was a native title application for the Gold Coast region which had been made by the Gold Coast Native Title Group but was unable to comment on what specific areas it covered.

GoldlinQ spokesman Jason Ward said native title issues within the area had been dealt with by the State Government.

"There is no native title over this area and all relevant approvals have been granted and the conditions set down are in place," he said.