A BOLD push to extend Brisbane Metro to Capalaba by the 2032 Olympics — and ultimately through to Cleveland, Redland Bay and the islands — has been pitched as the transport key to unlocking the Redlands’ economic future.
The case for the eastern Metro extension was put front and centre at Champion Redlands Coast and Suburban Futures’ Let’s Go Metro forum at Alexandra Hills Hotel on Tuesday.
Federal Member for Bowman Henry Pike, transport planner David Hayward and Redlands resident and development professional Vaughn Bowden told the forum Metro should be seen as far more than a way to get local commuters into Brisbane.
Mr Bowden said the planned extension to Capalaba and Birkdale had the potential to become a “ribbon of gold” linking the Redlands with the city, Carindale, Sleeman Sports Complex and the 2032 Olympic venues.
But he said the long-term opportunity was to take the service farther east, using the Northern Arterial Corridor to connect Birkdale, Ormiston and Cleveland, with future services toward Redland Bay and Logan.
“This is catalytic infrastructure. It’s not just about a bus,” he said.
“If you want to see a city that has jobs, housing diversity and opportunity, this is what catalyses that.
“If you were to put the Redlands 25 kilometres out from the CBD, near an airport, near a seaport, with the equivalent of the Whitsundays just off its coastline, this place should be on fire. What are we missing? We need that infrastructure.”
The Brisbane City Council is undertaking a 12-month business case into extending Metro from the existing Eastern Busway at Langlands Park to Capalaba, including connections to Sleeman Sports Complex and Birkdale.
Mr Pike said the project was the Redlands’ most important prospective Olympic legacy and should involve support from all levels of government.
“When we committed to host the Olympics here, the promise wasn’t just that we were going to have a good time for a few weeks,” he said.
“The promise was that we were going to have a lasting legacy of transport infrastructure, amongst the sporting infrastructure and the cultural piece.
“This is, to me, nationally significant. This piece of infrastructure will stitch Sleeman and Birkdale back into the broader Brisbane piece.”
Mr Pike said Metro could help draw people to Redlands Coast destinations and centres, rather than simply move Redlands workers into the CBD.
“Why can’t people from Carindale get on the Metro and come out here and have a nice night out?” he said.
“These are the opportunities that we can open up — not just about moving the two-thirds of Redlanders who work in Brisbane there quicker and home at night, but actually trying to attract people out here to the bayside.”
Transport consultant David Hayward said better public transport needed to be matched with stronger jobs, housing and services around key centres.
He said research comparing Sydney and Brisbane found Sydney had substantially higher employment and population densities around activity centres, helping make rapid public transport more viable.
“We need to be getting each of these activity centres to have mass rapid transit services that currently aren’t very well serviced at all,” Mr Hayward said.
He said Metro’s flexibility could make it a more realistic option than costly heavy rail extensions, particularly if dedicated bus lanes were used instead of tunnels where possible.
“If it’s a billion dollars a kilometre for a tunnel and $100 million a kilometre for an on-road solution, that means you actually get 10 more kilometres into the system,” he said.
“That could mean Cleveland and even down to Redland Bay.”
Acting Mayor Julie Talty told the forum the debate was a classic “chicken-and-egg” dilemma, questioning whether major job centres had first emerged around transport lines in Sydney, rather than being created before infrastructure was built.
Mr Hayward agreed the commitment needed to come first.
“I think it’s been proven. The infrastructure was provided and the development came,” he said.
“I’d like to think we understand the value of doing that a bit better when we recommend infrastructure and how much we commit for it.”
Councillor Peter Mitchell said better connections to Cleveland and the bay could be critical in building a lasting tourism legacy from 2032.
Mr Pike said North Stradbroke Island was one of the Redlands’ strongest drawcards, but warned transport links had to be supported by better visitor experiences and services.
“Metro has got to be the first step,” he said.
“We’ve got to find ways to then connect it out to Cleveland, out to the islands and Southern Moreton Bay Islands as well.”
While the full vision may take decades, Mr Bowden said delivering Metro to Capalaba by 2032 would be “a game changer in its own right”.
“It should not be all or nothing,” he said.
“This is a long-term vision. The rest of it may be a 20-year vision, but it starts to influence planning thinking, planning schemes and long-term strategy — and that is where the value comes from.”
