Gold Coast light rail project could blow out by billions

Gold Coast light rail was always going to be expensive, but now alarms are sounding and that’s the range. So the P90 estimate $4.4 billion. But going forward, after 9 News revealed the 13 kilometre stage 4 of the light rail linking Burley to Coolangatta would cost more than 3 billion, Transport Minister Bart Mellish today admitting the government’s estimate is it could cost anywhere from 3.13 billion to 7.6 billion. The upper estimate of this project. Really it is getting up there. The current prediction is 4.46 billion, equating to roughly $343,000 per metre. But if history is a guide, that will rise. Stage three of the Gold Coast light rail went from 709 million to 1.2 billion in two years. The Gold Coast Faster rail project rose from 2.6 to 5.75 billion, and the Coomer Connector started as a 1 1/2 billion project but is now more than $3 billion. It’s unlikely, Wouldn’t you say, that it’s going to be less than 4.4 billion? That wouldn’t be for me to say. But that’s why we’re doing the business case work. I suppose everything the miles Labour government is touching is blowing out. The big question now what happens if Stage 4 costs more than two Olympic stadiums after the premier balked at rebuilding the Gabba for 2.7 billion? At what point do you think this project does become unviable? 5 billion? Six billion? 7 billion? Well, it’s not for me to to put a dollar figure on it at this point in time, but. We really do have to consider going forward the viability of projects. Where they do have really large cost estimates. Straight to Political editor Tim Arvier now Tim So what does this mean for the future of Gold Coast light rail? Well, Andrew, Queenslanders shouldn’t expect to see any answers on whether this actually goes ahead now until after the next election. And that is because the government has ordered a full business case review, something that will take 12 to 18 months to give a better idea on the precise costs. But while that’s going ahead, neither Labour or the LNP is going to commit to this project. The only politician who is still pushing hard for it is Mayor Tom Tate. And he says that every day we do wait, it’s only going to get more expensive. Andrew. Melissa. Thanks, Tim.