Transport Minister Bart Mellish warns that the final stage of the Gold Coast’s light rail line to Coolangatta could potentially surpass the cost of Queensland’s largest infrastructure project, ranging from $3.1 billion to $7.6 billion according to preliminary evaluations.
The Gold Coast light rail project’s cost would rival Brisbane’s Cross River Rail, which involves tunnelling heavy rail beneath the CBD and faces a $960 million cost blowout.
The lower-end cost might surpass the budget for the Gabba redevelopment proposed for the 2032 Olympics.
The estimate after the preliminary evaluation for the final stage was roughly $4.4 billion.
Transport Minister Bart Mellish emphasised that neither state nor federal funds had been allocated to the project yet, as an ongoing business case seeks to provide a more precise cost estimate.
The state government and Gold Coast City Council have jointly allocated $10 million each for planning activities.
More updates on the Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 4 project here.
News source: Queensland government website and ABC News
