Passenger Rail

Albo slams Gold Coast funding ‘re-announcement’

Federal shadow transport and infrastructure minister Anthony Albanese has criticised the Coalition government for what he said was a mere “re-announcement” of already established funding for Stage 3A of the Gold Coast Light Rail project.

Albanese said the Morrison government was engaging in “time-wasting” and “needless politics” by announcing $112 million in funding for the light rail extension from Broadbeach to Burleigh Heads, a project he said had already been allocated with funds.

“This stage of the project, which the prime minister ‘announced’ on the Gold Coast today, was actually funded in the 2018 Budget in May when Malcolm Turnbull was Prime Minister. The news was leaked to the Herald Sun newspaper,” Albanese said.

“But the Coalition deliberately chose to delay releasing the funding as they waited for a political campaigning opportunity like Mr. Morrison’s current bus tour of Queensland.”

Albanese also claimed that the Coalition had not been an ally of the Gold Coast light rail project in the past.

“In 2009, when the former Labor government provided $365 million for Stage I of the project as part of our economic stimulus package, the Coalition opposed the investment at the state and federal level,” he said.

“Five years later, when Stage I opened, shameless Gold Coast Coalition MPs including Defence Industry Minister Steven Ciobo fell over each other to pose for media photographs seeking to claim credit for the project they had campaigned against.

“If it had been left to them, Gold Coast Light Rail would never have been ready for this year’s successful Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.”

The 6.4-kilometre extension from Broadbeach to Burleigh Heads is to include eight new light rail stations, upgraded pedestrian and cycling facilities and an upgraded bus interchange facility at Burleigh Heads.

Trams will run in the centre of the Gold Coast Highway with planning for up to eight stations and a journey time of 16 to 17 minutes.

Stage 3A is expected to be complete by 2023. The detailed business case is being prepared by the state government in partnership with the City of Gold Coast and will reportedly be completed by the end of 2018.