Karen Andrews (McPherson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week I joined with state and council colleagues to host a community meeting on stage 4 of the Gold Coast Light Rail. It was standing room only, with over 600 people attending and many more unable to enter the building. It was a real reflection of community concern, and I've not seen a public meeting quite like this in all my years as a member of parliament. Speaker after speaker raised very legitimate concerns about the impact of the proposed route including the logistics of lane closures; a reduction in local parking and access to side streets; the environmental impacts of cutting through Burleigh Hill, going over two estuaries and affecting koala habitat, as well as the destruction of culturally significant Indigenous sites; and the safety aspects of emergency vehicles accessing along the Pacific Highway. Residents are also deeply concerned that this project, effectively, provides a green light for overdevelopment of the southern Gold Coast and will forever change the nature of this unique part of Queensland.

The community sentiment was very clear. We cannot risk damaging local businesses, creating long-term traffic issues and harming our environment with the current proposal. It is not fit for purpose. In the lead-up to the meeting, I conducted a survey of the affected suburbs, and I've had over 1,600 responses so far. Eighty-six per cent of local residents said they are concerned about the negative impacts of light rail on our southern Gold Coast environment and lifestyle, and a huge 85 per cent want the extension of heavy rail from Varsity Lakes to Coolangatta to be made a priority. This is the public transport infrastructure that our community wants and needs, which is why I am today delivering 125 letters signed by local residents at that meeting to the federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King, asking that the extension of the heavy rail be made the priority in her 90-day review of national infrastructure projects.

It's essential that all levels of government listen to the community and deliver infrastructure that will actually benefit residents and make our regions stronger. The depth of feeling at last week's meeting clearly shows that residents believe that light rail stage 4 will do the opposite. It's a matter of public record that I have deep concerns about stage 4 and that I've been calling for the extension of the heavy rail line as a priority. I want to assure my constituents that I will keep fighting for them on these vitally important issues.