A $1m study into the possibility of a light rail connection between Tweed Heads and Coolangatta has been announced by the NSW Liberal-Nationals government.
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Paul Toole, said the study comes after the NSW and Queensland governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) earlier this year to assess the cross-border region’s needs and build a stronger public transport offering.
Five km corridor
Mr Toole said, ‘The study will see NSW identify a suitable five-kilometre corridor for a future light rail extension from Coolangatta to the Tweed, while Queensland will investigate the corridor to the north’.
According to local MP Goeff Provest prior to the COVID-19 border closure there were approximately 30,000 daily cross-border commuter trips between Tweed Shire and Gold Coast.
‘I think a light rail connection that comes to Tweed Heads itself would be fantastic,’ said Tweed Mayor Chris Cherry.
‘The fact is we turn north for many of our specialist and medical services and this could provide an effective link to them.’
The study will also consider the range of public transport and movement options including buses, cycling and walking could be integrated as part of the corridor.
Mr Toole’s office added ‘The Queensland government released an Expression of Interest in August for a consultant to carry out the Tugun to Tweed Multimodal Corridor study. Transport for NSW is using the shortlisted consultants from the EOI as the basis for a Request for Tender as part of the joint study approach’.
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