Light Rail Southern Gold CoastKen Deutscher 21 February 2017

Program Manager Light Rail Project and Corridor Development #60651572

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• The Gold Coast’s G:link, commenced operation in July 2014 along a 13 Km route from Broadbeach to the Gold Coast University Hospital.

• The City and the Queensland and Commonwealth Governments are delivering a 7.6 km Stage 2 extension that will connect to regional rail at Helensvale station, linking tram to train, Broadbeach to Brisbane.

• With Gold Coast population and tourism set for continuing growth, the City has focussed attention on the case for a southern extension from:

• Broadbeach to Burleigh Heads; and • Then on to the Gold Coast Airport and Coolangatta town centre itself.

Why Light Rail Southern Gold Coast?

Surfers Paradise (2005 Concept)

Surfers Paradise (2014)

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Key drivers of future extensions• Success of G:Link

• Growth in PT trips

• Population growth on the Coast

• Employment generation

• Transport Strategy Signature Action: extend the light railnetwork across the City

• City Plan 2016

• Draft SEQ regional plan 2016

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15,000 extra people in the city each year

= about 36,000 extra vehicle trips each year

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Key Targets for 2031:Ècar trips from 88% to 74%Çcycling from 2% to 6%Çwalking from 7% to 8%Çpublic transport from 3%

to 12%

Gold Coast City Transport Strategy 2013

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“Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men's blood and probably themselves will not be realized.

Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone will be a living thing, asserting itself with ever-growing insistency.”

Daniel H. Burnham

c1880

Burnham took a leading role in the creation of master plans for the development of a number of cities, including Chicago, Manila and Washington, D.C. He also designed several famous buildings, including the Flatiron Building of triangular shape in New York City, Union Station in Washington D.C., the Continental Trust Company Building tower skyscraper in Baltimore, and a number of notable skyscrapers in Chicago.

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A big plan – the network for the future

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GCRT Corridor Study 2010:Strategic Planning Study

• Covered the entire GCRT route

• Opportunities and constraints

• Vision for the entire corridor

• Overarching land use planning and urban design principles

• Informed the Planning Scheme Review

The Project Journey - urban planning

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City Plan includes a light rail urban renewal area:

• Specific provisions re height and density apply

• Aims to consolidate infill along the LRT corridor

• “The light rail urban renewal area will be a cohesive corridor of distinctive, high quality urban environments that optimises accessibility to light rail services and economic development opportunities”.

• Not all areas will accommodate high-rise buildings.

The City Plan 2016

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CoGC City Plan 2016 – further light rail extensions§ Robina 9 km§ Burleigh 6.5 km§ Coolangatta 22 km§ Bundall 3 km§ the Spit 2.6 km

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Strong focus on urban renewal and infill:

� Expected population growth 2015 – 2041: 372,400� An average of 14,000 people extra each year� Extend the light rail to Coolangatta� Support increased residential densities and

employment growth� Connect Southport-Broadbeach economic corridor

with Gold Coast Airport

Draft SEQ Regional Plan 2016

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Public Consultation – Light rail southern Gold Coast • Public consultation on the future planning of light

rail was undertaken between 30 November to 20 December 2015.

• Feedback south on 7 route options focused on light rail west to Robina and south towards the Gold Coast Airport.

• A total of 3,606 valid responses (online survey and hardcopy) were received.

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Broadbeach to Burleigh Heads• Received the highest level of support with

79% support from respondents

• 61% of respondents (2221 respondents) strongly support

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Burleigh Heads to Gold Coast Airport • Option A – via Gold Coast

Highway

• Second highest level of support with 70%

• Option B – via Palm Beach Ave and M1 Western Alignment

• In comparing the two options, 58% supported Option A with only 22% preferring Option B.

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Level of support for routesIdea Presented Idea 1

Broadbeach to Burleigh Heads

Idea 5 (A)Burleigh Heads to Gold Coast Airport (via GC Hway)

Idea 4Varsity Lakes to Gold Coast Airport

Idea 2 (A)Nobby Beach to Robina Town Centre (via Bond Uni)

Idea 5 (B)Burleigh Heads to Gold Coast Airport (M1 alignment)

Idea 2 (B)Nobby Beach to Robina Town Centre (via Bond Uni and Varsity Lakes Rail Stn)

Idea 3Burleigh Heads to Varsity Lakes Rail Stn

Support 2855 2522 2338 1748 1732 1635 1600Oppose 438 667 863 984 1137 1081 1137Neutral /No Answer 315 417 405 874 737 890 869

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Staged approach

For practical reasons, the full stage 3 from Broadbeach to Coolangatta town centre has been broken into 2 sub-stages:

1. Stage 3A - Broadbeach to Burleigh 2. Stage 3B – Burleigh to Coolangatta

Tweed Shire Council has made representations to Transport for NSW regarding continuing light rail planning over the border…..

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Project Vision Gold Coast Light Rail south….� Affordable beachside living with a broader range of housing

opportunities� Increased levels of mobility for people of all ages without the need to

rely on travel by private motor vehicle, with consequent significant reductions in motor traffic and car parking provision

� Fast convenient connections to employment, shopping and entertainment services, and the Gold Coast Airport

� Linking priority economic development and knowledge based industry areas along the full length of the light rail urban development corridor from Helensvale to Coolangatta via both light rail and digital infrastructure

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§ Connects the southern centres and Gold Coast Airport to Southport CBD and Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach

§ Maximises the benefits of Stage 2 which is connecting the light rail system to Brisbane and the rest of the SEQ region via Helensvale

§ Potentially connects southern light rail to regional rail (new Elanora rail station)

§ Gold Coast Highway land corridor value uplift potential

Broadbeach to Coolangatta benefits

Potential future connection to future regional rail at Elanora

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Gold Coast Airport

A good story……

� Gold Coast Airport currently has more than six million passenger movements per year.

� By 2037, Gold Coast Airport is forecast to have 16.6 million passenger movements

� Comprised of 13.5 million domestic and 3.1 million international passengers

� An economic impact assessment commissioned as part of the 2017Master Plan process revealed over the next five years GCA’s direct operations contribution to the region will be $818 million.

� By 2037 it is anticipated that contribution will grow to $2.3 billion to the city/region.

Source: goldcoastairport.com.au; accessed 17 February 2017

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2015 route planning Study Process undertaken by CoGCPre feasibility level;

A long list of “fat pen” alignment options was developed for each corridor opportunity

1. Long list was reduced to a short list of several alignment options in each corridor; broad assessment

2. Short listed alignment options were investigated against key matters relevant to the feasibility of the alignment

NB. Conceptual geometric footprints – assumed widths and grades, platforms lengths and widths based on G:Link standards

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Key matters used to evaluate short listed alignments§ Civil engineering and constructability

§ City building – value uplift, site opportunities

§ Environmental and social impacts – flood prone areas, sensitive areas, property impacts

§ Traffic and transport –traffic impacts, passenger catchments

§ Impacts to new and existing structures and property

§ High level (P10) construction cost estimates but excluding vehicles, property and future contracting and admin costs

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Broadbeach to Burleigh Heads

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Burleigh Heads – “Fat Pen” options

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Burleigh Heads – Shortlisted options

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Burleigh Heads to Tugun –“Fat Pen” options

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Burleigh Heads to Tugun –Shortlisted options

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Tugun to Coolangatta – “Fat Pen” options

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Tugun to Coolangatta – Shortlisted options

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