A large bungalow home in Nudgee that Brisbane City Council says it at risk of demolition or removal could be placed under a two-year protective order while its history is investigated.
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The property on St Vincents Road has a large 3000-square-metre block of land and a building the council believes could be constructed in 1900.
At Tuesday’s council meeting a request for a temporary local planning instrument that would last for two years was put forward for debate.
The council agreed to write to State Development Minister Cameron Dick requesting the TLPI so they could have more time to investigate the heritage of the property.
A report made to council’s establishment and coordination committee noted the property was “currently at risk of either demolition or removal” and any subdivision of the garden “would have a detrimental impact on the cultural significance of the house” and the gardens.
The building had already seen some upgrades made to it, including a part of the building constructed after 1946, but it was believed the original building could have been constructed in 1900.
City planning committee chair Matthew Bourke said the council did not want to see the house disappear.
“Council needs more time to properly research the history of this site and determine its historical significant, as well as heritage value so it can then be put onto our heritage register,” Cr Bourke said.
“Due to the current zoning and size of the lot, there is the possibility this site may become subject to a multiple dwelling development application.”
Cr Bourke said on face value the building didn’t look like a pre-1940s house, but local councillor Adam Allan (Northgate) had raised the potential for it to be of heritage interest after conversations he had had.
“That’s why we’ve taken this opportunity to protect it, to be able to do the detailed investigation, and then assess on that information,” Cr Bourke said.
Cr Allan said the property was well-known to residents as an “imposing old home” and was originally on farmland.
“This property has remained as a beacon of a bygone era,” he said.
“Any moves to move or demolish the property would not be well-received by the growing local community and would result in the loss of an element of the heritage and history of the area.”
Independent councillor Nicole Johnston (Tennyson) questioned why the council was seeking a TLPI on the Nudgee property when many other requests she had made to protect houses in her ward were rejected.
The move from council to protect the building follows several weeks of discussion about the council’s attempt to ban townhouse and apartment developments on blocks larger than 3000 square metres in low density residential zoned suburbs.
The council is waiting for a final response from the state government on both their request for a permanent ban to be written into its planning legislation, and a temporary ban while the permanent ban is considered.
