LED billboards to be banned in character areas
Garish electronic billboards will be outlawed near Brisbane’s character buildings after residents in one of the city’s most beautiful suburbs waged a fierce battle.
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Garish electronic billboards will no longer be allowed near Brisbane’s beautiful old buildings under a local law due to be passed tomorrow by Council.
LED signs have mushroomed across the city since the first digital billboard was installed more than a decade ago, sparking widespread anger among residents.
The temporary law, due to be voted on at Tuesday’s Council meeting, comes after residents in inner-city Paddington launched a vigorous campaign to stop two billboards on Given and Latrobe terraces.
The billboard story so far
One down, one to go: Paddo sign application withdrawn
New billboard applications halted until inquiry
The eyesore coming to one of our most charming suburbs
Council warned three years ago of explosion in billboards
‘Not a museum’: secret billboard docs shed light on controversy
Setback for Paddo’s battle of the billboards
The Latrobe Tce billboard has since been erected, but an application for the Given Tce billboard was recently withdrawn.
The Advertising Interim Local Law will ban “high impact’’ (greater than 4 sqm) electronic signs on or within 50m of a heritage place, a 1911 building or a commercial character building.
“We are updating our policy to respond to the changing industry and community expectations,’’ Deputy Mayor Krista Adams said this afternoon in a statement.
“This amendment will prohibit high impact electronic signs outside of the inner-city that would impact on a heritage place, or an area identified as commercial character or pre-1911 buildings.
“The community brought to our attention a very important emerging issue and we acted quickly to put a stop to high impact billboard appearing in other unsuitable areas.
“Team Schrinner (the LNP administration) will be supporting this proposed change in the Council Chamber tomorrow (Tuesday).’’
Paddington resident Gus McTavish, one of the locals spearheading the fight against the two signs in his suburb, said the law was “a bit late’’ but nevertheless welcome.
“It’s good to see something positive come out of our campaign,’’ he said.
Mr McTavish said a second batch of Right To Information documents he requested on how the terraces approvals were made were almost totally redacted.
Council claimed legal privilege, which meant residents would never know why a senior Council officer overturned concerns from junior officers.
The Greens candidate for the state seat of Cooper, which covers Paddington, described the development as “another incredible win for the Paddington community’’.
“They have shown that when we work together we can take control back from dodgy developers and their politician mates,’’ Katinka Winston-Allom said.
“The community secured a full review of billboard application approvals across Brisbane city and not a single billboard has been approved since our protest.
“We’ve also seen the second Latrobe/Given Billboard application withdrawn because of the community’s continued pressure.
“Now, the Paddington community has protected character precincts across the entirety of Brisbane from the advent of these billboards.
“This is such an incredible tale of community power and protest. I’m so proud to have stood alongside them.’’
She said the question still remained whether Paddington ward Councillor, Peter Matic, would push for the removal of the Latrobe Tce sign.
Cr Matic has repeatedly said he was unaware that sign had been approved until a crane turned up at the site, several hundred metres from his office, as approvals were made independently by Council officers.
He admitted meeting the billboard proponent a year ago, but said he told them such a sign would not be supported by the community.