Trams are running but the Gold Coast's light rail fight is not over

Gold Coast light rail stage 3 opens but public transport pain is not over Sun 9 Aug 2026 at 8:37am After $1.55 billion and four years of disruptive construction, the Gold Coast's latest mass transit system has finally begun taking passengers. Light rail stage 3 has connected the bustling shopping precinct of Broadbeach to the stunning beaches of Burleigh Heads. The state government estimates two million passengers will use the network every month but the light rail has become a symbol of the city's struggle to manage population growth. Locals know the trams carry big change. Decades in the making Urban planning consultant Ned Wales worked at Gold Coast City Council in the mid-2000s, as detailed planning for light rail began. "Light rail has a dedicated right of way; you get the reliability in terms of timing and scheduling," he said. "[It's] not cheap but it's certainly been well worth it." The first stage — a 13-kilometre line from Gold Coast University Hospital to Broadbeach — took three years to build and cost $1.61 billion in today's dollars. The former Labor state government initially estimated the 6.7km stage 3 would cost $709 million. That has since blown-out to $1.55 billion. Mr Wales, now an Assistant Professor of Sustainable Development at Bond University, said light rail required costly upgrades to underground sewer and water infrastructure — with "many, many moving parts" involved. In September 2025, light rail operator GoldLinQ said 48km of utilities had been relocated or upgraded and 137 power poles installed to build 60 per cent of stage 3. GoldLinQ chair John Witheriff said crews were uncovering decades-old infrastructure, including broken asbestos-cement water pipes, adding unexpected delays. "We've got no idea what's underground in our city and we've got no idea how long the stuff's been in there and when it's all going to break up," he said at the time. Disruption and reflection Those disruptions came at a cost for many businesses along the route. Jess Firkin relocated his vintage clothing shop from the light rail route in Mermaid Beach south to Miami last year. "When something happens to you, you're very quick to make judgement and point figures," he said. "But that doesn't get the bills paid." Now about 100 metres off the new light rail route, Mr Firkin said his trade had increased by 70 per cent. "As much as it does suck for things to happen outside of your control, there are always actions you can take to help rectify those situations," he said. "I would really like it to end on a positive note and really emphasise that business owners need to take accountability and that's my biggest lesson." Locals Raeleigh and Russell Olive said the construction process has been "a real mess". "The restrictions on getting in and out of Burleigh [are] … gone and it looks good again," Ms Olive said. "It's one of our favourite places to come, so it's nice to know that other people will be enjoying it as well." But Mr Olive said "it would have been a great idea" to extend the line further south to the airport. Opposition builds, plans get scrapped Light rail was not meant to end with stage 3. Stage 4 would have connected Burleigh Heads to the airport, described as a critical part of the entire network by urban planners. But the cancellation of stage 4 came about after once-sleepy coastal villages along the proposed route became the focus of intense high-rise development. Opposition grew in suburbs such as Palm Beach, where "Trams Outta Palmy" signs appeared outside homes and shops. Even surfing great Mick Fanning voiced his disapproval online. While he supported stage 4, Mr Wales said "the downside is gentrification". "Real estate values increase particularly around tram stations," he said. "That may lead to some displacement of those on lower socio-economic incomes." The LNP government cancelled stage 4 last year, citing local opposition and an estimated cost of $5.7 billion to $9.8 billion. But on Friday, Queensland Labor senator Murray Watt said the state had not given the Commonwealth a firm stage 4 business case, making it "impossible to say exactly what that cost would be". The state has preserved the light rail corridor along the southern Gold Coast, leaving the door open for a future government to revive the project. What's next? A network of larger buses dubbed the "GC Surfer" will carry passengers south of Burleigh Heads, but without the dedicated lanes to bypass traffic. The GC Surfer will also link the Gold Coast's inland suburbs, including Nerang and Robina, which would not have been feasible with light rail. "Those communities sandwiched between light rail and heavy [rail] will now have the opportunity to enjoy both," Burleigh MP Hermann Vorster said. Labor's only Gold Coast MP, Meaghan Scanlon, called the stage 3 launch without an airport extension "bittersweet" but stopped short of committing to stage 4. With the city's population expected to reach one million in the next two decades, Mr Wales said the Gold Coast's "hesitation" towards public transport must change. "If you look at any major city around the world, their mass transit is crucially important in terms of efficiency and economic development," he said. "For us to be more prosperous, light rail is part of the solution." [Image text:] 20 G:link ALSTON translink KINETIC 335