I am delighted to announce that the Commonwealth will fund a feasibility study into a light rail system to service the Gold Coast.
The feasibility study will be conducted jointly with the Queensland Government.
The Government's decision follows strong representation by the Member for McPherson, Mrs Margaret May, MP and the Member for Moncrieff, the Hon Kathy Sullivan, MP on the importance of the project to the future development of the Gold Coast. The Mayor of the Gold Coast, Councillor Gary Baildon, also made strong representations, highlighting the growth prospects of the Gold Coast and its future needs.
The Gold Coast is a rapidly developing area of Australia and it is important that it has the transport infrastructure necessary to support this growth.
When planning for future growth, it is important to understand what the future needs will be and how best to meet these needs. The feasibility study will examine issues including population growth rates, public transport usage and the integration of a light rail system with existing public transport and road transport systems.
I have always held the view that Government has a significant role to play in the development of infrastructure. While the Gold Coast Light Rail would normally be the responsibility of State and Local Government, the scale of this project and its potential impact on the region warrants Commonwealth support for a feasibility study.
3 April 2001