Leon Rebello (McPherson, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Planning for the next era of public transport on the Gold Coast must start with a simple principle: seamless connection and interconnectivity. We need stronger links to the rest of South-East Queensland. A practical, high-impact step is extending the heavy rail from Varsity Lakes through West Burleigh, Elanora and Tugun right down to Coolangatta. This is a sensible nation-building project. It would deliver a direct rail link to Gold Coast Airport, one of Australia's fastest growing gateways, while easing pressure on our roads, opening access to jobs and tourism and strengthening the livability of the southern Gold Coast. Right now, congestion is stealing time from families and productivity from local businesses. Tradies trying to reach worksites, parents on school runs, visitors heading to our beaches—all are caught in the same daily gridlock.

Another priority I've been advocating for, along with local councillor Dan Doran, is a fix for exit 82 on the M1 in Robina, the source of the bottleneck that ripples across Robina Town Centre with its notorious double roundabouts. This single choke point costs thousands of hours every year, and commerce grinds to a halt.

I've already communicated these priorities to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, and I hope that this Labor government will come to the table on funding the initial steps, such as business cases, for these projects. The southern Gold Coast deserves investment. Let's get on with it and get it built.

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