Grand Brisbane house saved from development knife

The grounds of Goldicott House have graced Toowong for a century. Now, residents are celebrating after a court ruled they can’t be carved up.

Rebecca Kenny and other Toowong residents have had a win in their fight to save the sweeping grounds of heritage-listed Goldicott House from unit development. Picture: AAP/Renae Droop

In a rare win for the little people, a court has ruled a prominent developer cannot go ahead with plans to rezone and subdivide the sweeping grounds of heritage-listed Goldicott House, built in 1885.

Neighbour Rebecca Kenny, who has led the fight to save the landmark Sisters of Mercy site, said she hoped Brisbane Boys College might now buy it to extend its boarding house.

The Pikos Group originally floated plans to turn the grounds into a multistorey aged care facility, alarming heritage experts and residents in the traffic choked surrounding streets.

After that idea was blocked, Pikos then floated plans in 2018 for a huge residential unit project.

But last week the Planning & Environment Court ruled it could not rezone the grounds, which include a school music room where Powderfinger frontman Bernard Fanning learned his craft.

It also could not subdivide into the three lots it had proposed.

“They would be hard pressed to go ahead with highrise now. There’s no development likely to be possible,’’ Ms Kenny said.

PLAN TO BUILD AGED CARE ON GOLDICOTT SITE

GRAND HOUSE TO BE CARVED UP FOR QUICK PROFIT

POWDERFINGER FRONTMAN’S OLD MUSIC ROOM AT RISK

Rebecca Kenny outside the heritage-listed music room where Bernard Fanning from Powderfinger was taught. Pikos Group had planned to move the building. Picture: Richard Walker

“Property values have gone down and they would also have to put in an actual development application.

“Pikos paid $8 million for the property — what could they build on it now to get a return on their investment?’’

Brisbane Boys’ College is understood to have been the under bidder for the site when it went up for auction.

It was believed to have wanted extend an adjacent boarding house on its land, but residents said they were told Pikos had offered to build new boarding houses for BBC.

“At this time, BBC has no plans to pursue the Goldicott House site should it indeed go to market,’’ a BBC spokeswoman said.

Ms Kenny said residents would be very happy if BBC went ahead with an acquisition, saying that would actually improve traffic in congested local streets as boarders and their parents could access accommodation via Kensington Tce.

The Pikos Group was contacted for comment.

Goldicott House was an innovative build, featuring Queensland’s first residential poured concrete slab design. Picture: Noel Pascoe

Pikos had planned to move the heritage-listed former St Ignatius College music building and renovate the heritage home.

Although it never formally released its intentions, Ms Kenny feared it had wanted to press ahead with plans for 600 aged care beds on the rest of the site.

Former Walter Taylor ward Councillor, Julian Simmonds (now the local federal MP), who was also City Planning chairman at the time, opposed the project because of traffic and heritage concerns.

City views from Goldicott House at Toowong. Picture: AAP/Renae Droop

Aerial view of Goldicott House.

Local state Greens MP Michael Berkman also opposed the development.

“This is a long fought victory for locals and I’ve been really proud to support their campaign,’’ Mr Berkman said.

“I’ve been following this since 2017 when the lot was first sold to private developers.

“I joined more than 100 locals in making an opposing submission to Council, and helped collect thousands of petition signatures to save Goldicott House.

“Last year when the developer lodged its appeal, I wrote to the Planning and Heritage Minister asking them to engage with the proceedings and help the community to protect Goldicott House.

“While it’s a shame the ruling doesn’t specifically protect the music room, it’s fantastic to see an overall win for residents, who’ve been able to protect this site from a development that would have trashed heritage values and caused serious traffic issues.

“But we have to look at the root of the problem: our planning system is ill-equipped to properly protect heritage, communities and the environment from rampant, profit-driven development.

“While we celebrate this win, another heritage-listed home and invaluable urban bushland at 124 Sherwood Rd is up for sale and, despite calls from the local community and my office, the LNP Council refuses to buy it back to ensure it’s protected from private development.’’

Consultants Cardno, acting for Pikos, stated in documents lodged with the Council that heritage impact advice was prepared by Ivan McDonald Architects.

“It has concluded that the proposed development will have acceptable heritage impacts and will satisfy all relevant heritage assessment criteria,’’ it stated.

Goldicott House is on the Queensland Heritage Register.

Former Heritage Minister Steven Miles had previously said he would formally object once a DA was lodged.