Old service station site under threat by development has been temporarily protected

AN 89-year-old Brisbane service station with significant World War II history has been urgently protected from the threat of development.

Brasch’s Service Station at 108 Breakfast Creek Rd, Newstead.

AN 89-year-old Brisbane service station threatened by development has been urgently protected.

The building known as Brasch’s Service Station at 108 Breakfast Creek Rd was built in 1928 and the site is currently used by a truck rental company.

At this afternoon’s Brisbane City Council meeting a Temporary Local Planning Instrument (TLPI) over the site was supported.

The TLPI will protect the building from adverse impacts for one year.

The report said the site was of cultural heritage and was originally used a Quick Service Station offering modern driveway facilities to motorists.

During World War Two the service station was requisitioned and became the US Navy’s principal gas station.

The site was to be identified as a place of cultural heritage in an amendment to the Brisbane City Plan 2014.

During consultation a submission was made against the proposal to add the site to the heritage overlay code.

The submitter’s consultant had developed a proposal for the site’s redevelopment and identified the 1928 buildings could be demolished.

This revelation prompted council to issue the TLPI.

City Planning chairman Julian Simmonds said a TLPI was a unique form of protection.

“It is not based on age, it is based on story, a story a property tells about our city,” Cr Simmonds said.

“This property tells a very special story about our city.

“It tells the story about the birth and uptake of the motor car in Brisbane; it has a significant function during the war and really was the first drive-in, drive-out service station as we know it.”

Opposition Leader Peter Cumming said the opposition supported the move to protect the building.

The TLPI will now be forwarded to State Infrastructure and Planning Minister Jackie Trad.