Stage 4 of the Gold Coast light rail project will not go ahead, the Queensland government has announced.
The government announced a halt to the planning of the final stage, which would have connected the light rail system to the Gold Coast Airport at Coolangatta.
Today Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie announced the final stage would not go ahead due to community opposition.
A light rail tram on the streets of Southport on the Gold Coast. (AAP)
“The overwhelming opposition from the residents of southern Gold Coast was clear,” Bleijie said.
“Two thirds of residents of southern Gold Coast objected to the Gold Coast light rail stage 4.
“This is a line in the sand for the community that we promised that we would review it independently.”
He said the project, which was initially slated to come in under $3 billion, could have blown out to $9.85 billion.
The government will instead deliver additional bus services and undertake a “multi-modal transport study” for the region.
There were more than 5600 submissions to the community consultation.
Nearly two-thirds of respondents reportedly expressed a “negative sentiment” towards the project.
The light rail currently extends from Helensvale in the city’s north, where it connects to Brisbane via heavy rail, south to Broadbeach.
Stage 3 of the project, which stretches south to Burleigh, has been under construction since 2022 and is not due to be completed until next year.
Businesses say they have been crippled by the construction, with road closures and fenced-off construction sites directly outside their premises.