Southern Oceanway link celebrated
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The completion of the Tugun to Bilinga section of the Gold Coast Oceanway was celebrated today (13 January) at a community event in Tugun.
The 1.7 kilometre ocean-front footpath is the latest section of the ever-growing 36 kilometre network of shared use pathways between the NSW border and the Gold Coast Seaway.
Acting Mayor Donna Gates, who attended the celebration at Wyberba Park with Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey, said this was an exciting day for the Southern Gold Coast.
“The community has wanted this ‘missing link’ completed for a long time and it’s wonderful to see the community embracing this new section,” Cr Gates said.
“It’s a lot more than just a path – there’s new seating, bike racks, path lighting and secondary pathways connecting to nearby streets.”
Dune vegetation improvement works were undertaken as part of the project to further increase resistance to coastal erosion and improve dune vegetation ecosystems.
The $4 million project was jointly funded by City of Gold Coast and the Queensland Government through its Cycle Network Local Government Grant program.
Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the Palaszczuk Government was proud to support the delivery of this important new part of the oceanway.
“We committed to the delivery of the Tugun to Bilinga Oceanway project last year and have invested more than $2 million to create a dedicated off-road shared path for bike riders and pedestrians,” Mr Bailey said.
Mr Bailey said the funding was part of the Queensland Government’s commitment to the delivery of safe, direct and connected bike networks across the state.
“We know that, on average, every dollar we invest in bike-riding infrastructure will return nearly five dollars in economic benefit to Queenslanders with improved health outcomes, reduced traffic congestion and lower transport costs.
“The Queensland Government is investing more than $240 million in the next four years to boost the state’s bike riding culture, including investment in bike riding infrastructure, planning and programs.