The Moreton Bay Regional Council has adopted a planning scheme Policy around Centre and Neighborhood Hub design. The policy is a comprehensive and detailed document developed to provide guidance to developers about satisfying assessment benchmarks identified in the planning scheme.
Guidelines on advertising devices are outlined in the plan. The three main important principles to be considered are: the visual aspect, clutter and character. These principles I assume is the reason the Advertising Device Code has limited the allowable face area of the device to 20m2
Has Bishopp Outdoor Advertising Pty Ltd satisfied the guidelines of the planning policy as they claim?
Let’s examine it:
Does the size of the proposed sign meet the Advertising Device Code? NO
PO1 Is the sign the appropriate scale and height? NO
PO1 Will the sign overly dominate the streets-cape and surrounding area. YES of course it will, its 6m x 3m. The site is surrounded by residential, recreational and treed open space areas along 4-mile creek.
PO1 Will the sign be compatible with the surrounding streets-cape and landscape? NO
The DA states the scale and capacity of the road requires a larger format sign to be utilized for driver safety. Total rubbish, do we make all signs 6m x 3m for driver safety.
In fact, I believe the sign will create a hazard for drivers. As Kensington Way approaches the location of the proposed sign from the North the road bends to the left and then narrows as you enter the bridge across 4 Mile Creek. This is not a location or time for a driver to be distracted by a very large advertisement on a sign. The bigger the sign the more there is to comprehend.
I’m sure most who read this will agree that the Kensington Village Shopping center, the location for the proposed sign, has deteriorated over last several years due to the lack of maintenance particularly in the car-park. The footpath is often overgrown and littered with rubbish. The drains and surrounding kerbing in the car-park are blocked with debris preventing rainwater from escaping. The washed-out bitumen in the rear car-park has not been repaired or fenced off and is a serious safety hazard for the many who traverse it to and from the shops. The area is an eyesore and the proposed sign will only add to it.
Has the MBRC issued a notice to the owners to rectify or make the area safe. If not it is very concerning.
I believe anyone traveling South on Kensington Way would rather look at the beautiful trees lining 4 Mile Creek than a 6m x 3m sign which would block that view if erected in the proposed position.
Plant more beautiful trees not more ugly signs. This DA cannot be approved by Council based on its own planning policy and along with many others I will be bitterly disappointed if it is approved
Russell Miers
