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Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3 opened to passengers on 9 August 2026, extending the G:link network 6.7 kilometres south from Broadbeach South to a new terminus at Burleigh Heads. For anyone researching property along this corridor, the extension changes the transport picture for several suburbs at once, though not always in the way a headline might suggest. This article sets out what Stage 3 actually built, where the new stations really are, what happened to a possible future extension further south, and what buyers should still confirm for themselves before treating “close to light rail” as a settled fact for any specific address.
What Stage 3 Actually Built
Stage 3 added eight new stations along the route from Broadbeach South to Burleigh Heads: Mermaid Beach, Mermaid Beach South, Nobby Beach, Miami North, Miami, Christine Avenue, Second Avenue and Burleigh Heads. The project also included new light rail and bus interchange facilities at Miami and Burleigh Heads, along with upgrades to signalised intersections and pedestrian and cycling facilities along the corridor. With Stage 3 complete, the Gold Coast Light Rail network runs to roughly 27 kilometres with 27 stations in total, stretching from Helensvale in the north to Burleigh Heads in the south.
Southport’s Place in the Network
Southport does not gain a new station under Stage 3. It has been served by light rail since the original Gold Coast Light Rail line opened as part of an earlier stage, and its stations sit well north of the Stage 3 works. What changes for Southport is more indirect: it becomes one stop among more on a longer, better-connected line, with more destinations reachable without switching to a car partway through a trip. Buyers weighing up Southport for its existing role as a health, retail and Broadwater hub should be clear that Stage 3 has not altered Southport’s own station footprint. The new stations from this extension are further south, around Miami and Burleigh Heads.
Miami and Burleigh Heads: Where the New Stations Actually Are
Miami now has two stations of its own, Miami North and Miami, plus a light rail and bus interchange. Burleigh Heads has become the new southern terminus of the network, with its own interchange connecting light rail to bus services heading further south. For buyers looking at these two suburbs, the practical change is real: residents can now reach Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach, Southport and the rest of the northern network by tram, without depending solely on a car or a bus-only trip. That said, “light rail suburb” and “walking distance to a station” are not automatically the same thing across a suburb with any size to it. Before assuming a specific property is genuinely close to a station, it is worth checking the actual walking distance on a map rather than relying on the suburb name alone.
What Happened to a Possible Stage 4
Buyers researching suburbs further south, such as Currumbin or Palm Beach, may have seen earlier discussion of a proposed Stage 4 extension running from Burleigh Heads to Coolangatta, via Gold Coast Airport. As reported by ABC News and other outlets, the Queensland Government stopped planning on this extension around September 2025, following an independent review that reportedly attracted more than 5,600 community submissions. Reported cost estimates for the extension ran into the billions of dollars, and reported community concerns centred on impacts near Burleigh Head National Park and Tallebudgera Creek. Reported government intentions since that decision have focused on bus service improvements for the southern Gold Coast instead, along with a broader regional transport study. Because this is based on reported statements rather than something that can be treated as a permanent, unchangeable position, buyers should confirm the current status of any future light rail extension directly with the Department of Transport and Main Roads or current Queensland Government statements before factoring a future station into a purchase decision for any suburb south of Burleigh Heads.
What This Means for Buyers
For buyers actively comparing suburbs along this corridor, a few practical steps are worth taking rather than skipping. Check the actual walking distance from a specific address to the nearest station using a map, rather than assuming an entire suburb is equally well served. Look at how a bus connection at an interchange like Burleigh Heads fits with any onward trip south, since Burleigh Heads is currently the end of the light rail line, not a through-station. And treat any reporting about future extensions as exactly that, reporting, until confirmed by an official, current source. Our suburb guides for Southport, Miami and Burleigh Heads go into more detail on each suburb’s broader profile beyond transport alone.
This article is general research information only, not financial or legal advice. Transport infrastructure, timetables and future project status can change, and readers should confirm current details directly with the Department of Transport and Main Roads, Translink or the relevant Queensland Government source before making a purchase decision based on transport access.
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