All Aboard: Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3 Officially Launches This Sunday Connecting Broadbeach to Burleigh Heads

Passenger services on the long-awaited Gold Coast light rail stage 3 will officially begin this Sunday, the Queensland government has confirmed. The new 6.7-kilometre link will connect Broadbeach to Burleigh Heads for the first time, featuring eight new stops, including Mermaid Beach, Miami, and Christine Avenue.

Construction on the $1.55 billion infrastructure project commenced in July 2022, marking a major increase from its initial estimated cost of $709 million. Stage 3 is part of a broader set of state government initiatives to reduce traffic congestion across the expanding city and enhance public transport links ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.

Budget and Construction Impact

Minister for Transport and Main Roads Brent Mickelberg attributed the budget increases to industrial impacts linked to the now-abolished Best Practice Industry Conditions guidelines.

"It certainly didn't stick to budget… My job since coming to government was to get this delivered," Mr Mickelberg said. "We know the Gold Coast needs additional investment in public transport, and [this] is a really important milestone."

According to the minister, the state's ongoing 50-cent fare initiative will ensure commuters have access to a highly affordable transit network. "The extension will better connect communities, support local jobs and businesses and make it easier for people to move between popular destinations," he said.

The inaugural tram is scheduled to depart from both Burleigh Heads and Broadbeach stations at 6am on Sunday.

Local Businesses Hope for Relief

Trading along the transit corridor has experienced a downturn for several years as construction dragged on. While the previous state government had originally estimated services would start by mid 2025, small business owners previously reported that their trade and income had decreased drastically as a result of the ongoing works.

Addressing these challenges, Mr Mickelberg acknowledged the frustration felt by local residents, noting that the project seemed to take "an inordinate amount of time".

Burleigh MP Hermann Vorster welcomed the Sunday launch, calling it a "light at the end of the figurative tunnel".

"Burleigh locals have endured so much disruption, and they'll be breathing a sigh of relief with services now just around the corner," Mr Vorster said. "I know thousands of Gold Coasters can't wait to come and support our local clubs and traders."

Political Clash Over Project Ownership

Meanwhile, the Gold Coast's sole Labor MP, Meaghan Scanlon, accused the Crisafulli government of taking credit for a development they had previously opposed.

"It's a bittersweet day with the light rail to Burleigh officially being completed but it will end there," Ms Scanlon said. "The LNP MPs who have been the biggest haters of this project will no doubt be there today taking credit with dumb grins on their face when they have just consigned the Gold Coast to a generation of congestion."

Ms Scanlon expressed deep disappointment that the planned light rail extension to the airport had been scrapped in favor of introducing the GC Surfer bus service.

"I can't seriously see how these MPs can suggest to Gold Coasters that a bus with a funny name with no dedicated lane in traffic is generational infrastructure," she said. "This has got to be one of the stupidest decisions the LNP have made on the Gold Coast to consign the Gold Coast to a generation of congestion and cancel the last stage of the light rail to the airport."

No Surfers Paradise-Style High Rises

Gold Coast Deputy Mayor Mark Hammel called the opening of the Burleigh extension an exciting milestone that will make it simpler for residents to travel to beaches, local dining spots, and major events without relying on private vehicles.

Responding to community concerns that the transit corridor would trigger the development of high-rise towers similar to those in Surfers Paradise, Cr Hammel insisted those worries were unfounded.

"If there's available infrastructure in the corridor, we should look at making sure we maximise that," he said. "What it won't mean, and I want to be very clear to residents of the Gold Coast, any kind of idea that towers the height of Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise are going to continue down the coast, it's not going to be the case."