Govind Tekale
The Queensland government has cancelled plans to extend the Gold Coast light rail from Burleigh Heads to Coolangatta, citing massive cost increases and strong community opposition.
Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie announced the decision to abandon Stage 4 of the project after an independent review revealed potential costs had ballooned to between $5.7 billion and $9.8 billion – far exceeding earlier estimates of $3.1 billion to $7.6 billion.
“This is a line in the sand for the community that we promised we would review it independently,” Bleijie said. “The overwhelming opposition from residents on the southern Gold Coast was clear.”
The government’s consultation received 5,662 submissions, with about two-thirds opposing the 13-kilometer extension. Sixty percent of respondents felt they hadn’t been adequately consulted by the previous Labor government.
Instead of trams, the state will focus on more frequent bus services and build a new bus depot at Burleigh Heads to handle approximately 11,000 daily commuters. The government will also study the possibility of a heavy rail link to Gold Coast Airport – an idea that has been discussed for decades.
Local LNP MPs welcomed the decision. Burleigh Heads MP Hermann Vorster pointed to environmental concerns around Tallebudgera and Currumbin Creeks, as well as the potential loss of 1,100 beachside parking spaces and 235 property resumptions.
“Our community also values simple pleasures in life, like a beach visit,” Vorster said. “When light rail stage four was revealed to abolish beachside car parks, affect properties with forced resumptions and put at risk our natural environment, they said no.”
But not everyone supports the cancellation. Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate expressed disappointment and questioned the government’s cost estimates.
“We’ve been on this journey since 2009, and in my view, it’s still the one project, now it’s truncated,” Tate said. “I’ll leave it over to state government to find a solution for Gold Coasters to get to the airport in Coolangatta.”
Tate warned of increasing traffic congestion, saying residents should “plan and double your time” when traveling on highways.
The business community also criticized the decision. Southern Gold Coast Chamber of Commerce president Zac Revere called the cancellation “short-sighted” and “a lasting setback for our city.”
“Right now, residents stuck in traffic across our city should be asking, ‘What exactly is the plan to ease congestion around my home?'” Revere said.
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The existing light rail network has been popular, with more than 100 million trips taken on the 20-kilometer route between Helensvale and Broadbeach since it began operating 11 years ago.
Construction on Stage 3, which will extend the line 6.7 kilometers south to Burleigh Heads, continues with plans to start passenger service by mid-2026.
The Gold Coast faces significant transport challenges as its population grows. Currently home to about 750,000 people, the region has added nearly 70,000 residents since 2019 and is expected to reach 1 million by 2041. The cancelled extension would have served more than 6 million annual airport travelers and growing southern suburbs like Palm Beach.
Labor Opposition Leader Steven Miles called the decision “an act of economic vandalism” that “condemns one of our biggest cities to a half-finished public transport network.”
Bleijie also cited skilled worker shortages as a factor, saying completing Stage 4 before the 2032 Olympics appeared “problematic.” He noted there was no money allocated for Stage 4 in the budget.
The state government has directed the Department of Transport and Main Roads to conduct a multi-modal transport study for the southern Gold Coast region to determine future options.
