By Jennifer Perry
According to IA’s “National Infrastructure Priorities Report,” the Gold Coast is Australia’s fastest growing city and its future travel demand and reliability cannot be assured through current bus public transport services. The Gold Coast Rapid Transit System is a light rail “solution” to be delivered in five sections, ultimately linking to the heavy rail line at Helensvale and the Coolangatta Airport, with future heavy rail connections at Coolangatta.
Queensland Transport Minister Rachel Nolan said that the Rapid Transit System is “vital” to the ongoing prosperity of the Gold Coast.
“In less than a decade, the major employment centres of Southport, Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach will support more than 40,000 jobs and it is imperative that these centres are serviced by a high-quality, high-frequency public transport network,” she said.
Federal funding is for stage one of the project (sections two and three) – an $850 million 13 kilometre light rail system that will run from Griffith University to Broadbeach via Southport. Further investment is to be provided by the Queensland Government, Gold Coast City Council and the private sector.
The Federal Government’s investment in the Rapid Transit System is conditional on the Queensland Government’s pursuit of a private partner for the project, something that Gold Coast Mayor Ron Clarke believes the State Government is “well advanced” in doing.
“I don’t believe the Australian Government would impose a condition that another Government of the same political persuasion could not meet,” Clarke said.
Project director Tim Poole believes that all three levels of Government are making a “strong commitment” to the project, and its size and nature make the project “very attractive” to the private sector. 
“We’re confident that partnership with the private sector will proceed once the State Government makes its final decision, though obviously the world is a very different place compared to 12 months ago,” he said.
The Queensland Government is currently considering the final business case for the Rapid Transit System including the finalised planning study, community consultation outcomes and additional market findings to, “understand the best way to present the project to market, especially around the delivery of operations by the private sector,” Poole said.
According to Poole there are a number of reasons why a PPP is attractive to a project such as this. Besides effectively financing the project, a PPP can “encourage innovation and better risk management,” he said.
Construction of the main contract (stage one: sections two and three) will start in late 2011. Early planning work is currently being undertaken to determine how future stages – which will connect the Gold Coast Light Rail with Brisbane – will best be implemented.
“Once we get into the implementation of stage one, we will be in a position to let people know what the plans for future extensions are, which may be five years or longer down the track, depending on the need,” Poole said.
Nolan said that once operational, the Rapid Transit System will take up to 40,000 cars off the coastal strip each day and reduce local greenhouse gas emissions by up to 114,000 tonnes over ten years.
 
More information on the Gold Coast Rapid Transit System is available at: http://www.translink.com.au/
 
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