Waterworks Road Archives

A Storage Facility or Something Else? The Gap Residents Speak Up on Waterworks Road Plans

Pradella Property has lodged a development application to build a contemporary self-storage facility and industrial workstore complex at 842-846 Waterworks Road in The Gap, on the site of the former Renzo’s Self Storage operation opposite Ashgrove Golf Club, with the proposal now open for public submissions.

The application, lodged under reference number A007025195, covers a 5,400-square-metre site and proposes three buildings across the one parcel. Building A would operate as a five-level StoreLocal self-storage facility with a total gross floor area of 8,859 square metres, including ground-floor drive-up storage units and upper levels accessible by lift and stairs.

Buildings B and C would provide two rows of two-level industrial workstore units, totalling 2,381 square metres of gross floor area across 17 individual units ranging in size from approximately 58 to 83 square metres on the ground floor, each with a mezzanine level above.

The development has been designed by McDougall Roberts Architecture and Consulting for Pradella Property, with DA drawings submitted in May 2026. The site previously operated as Renzo’s Self Storage before sitting vacant, and the excavated state of the land has itself drawn comment from nearby residents.

What the plans actually show

The proposed StoreLocal self-storage building (Building A) rises five levels above the natural ground line, reaching 9.5 metres above natural ground level as measured in the architectural sections. The ground floor contains a mix of drive-up storage units and an entry kiosk with loading bays, lifts and accessible bathroom facilities. Storage areas on levels one through four each provide approximately 1,651 to 1,881 square metres of floor space per level.

The two workstore buildings face Waterworks Road and are designed to a more residential aesthetic, with painted textured concrete panels, brick pavers, metal balustrades and landscaped planters along the internal driveway between the two rows. Architectural renderings show a landscaped internal driveway running between Buildings B and C, with mature plantings softening what would otherwise be a purely industrial streetscape.

The overall site cover sits at 60.52 per cent, with 581 square metres of landscape area representing 10.76 per cent of the total site. A two-way driveway provides entry and exit from Waterworks Road via a sliding security gate and entry gatehouse. Alan Willing Place Park borders the site to the east.

Residents question the site’s future

Four public submissions have been lodged since the proposal entered public consultation, and they share a common theme. While residents generally welcome redevelopment of the long-vacant site, many question whether a self-storage facility is the best use for such a prominent Waterworks Road location.

One resident described the excavated site as “an eyesore” and said they were pleased to see it developed, but argued that a storage facility was the wrong fit. They suggested the land would be better suited to the type of development originally proposed nearby, particularly given the work already completed on the site.

Another submitter said the proposal would give The Gap “the feeling of light industrial rather than residential and professional”, calling instead for housing, medical services or other professional uses that would better serve the community.

Traffic and community needs emerge as key concerns

Traffic on Waterworks Road also featured prominently in the submissions. One resident pointed to existing congestion caused by recent residential development and other approved projects, arguing that the proposed storage facility could add further pressure, particularly if customers visited outside business hours. The submission also cited an approved retirement village nearby and suggested the site would be better suited to a retail hub or service centre.

Another resident argued the community needed more housing and local amenities instead of storage facilities, writing: “We require housing and entertainment precinct, we are a large community that can support business such as restaurants, bars and community centres for local groups.”

While none of the submissions opposed redevelopment of the site itself, several acknowledged its commercial history. Instead, residents questioned whether self-storage was the most appropriate use, with concerns focusing on neighbourhood character, traffic impacts and the opportunity to deliver housing, retail or community facilities on a key gateway site.

How to have your say

The development application remains open for public submissions through Brisbane’s planning portal. Residents can click here to view the full set of drawings, read existing submissions and lodge a new submission.

Published 19-June-2026

The Gap Retirement Facility Proposal Raises Questions Over Height, Access And Local Character

Photo Credit: DA/A007011234

A retirement facility proposed in The Gap would place 76 independent living apartments within part of Ashgrove Golf Course, bringing new attention to how older residents’ housing, road access and neighbourhood outlooks are balanced along Waterworks Road.

The Gap Site Draws Retirement Living Proposal

A new retirement facility has been proposed for 837–857 Waterworks Road in The Gap, with plans showing two apartment wings within the south-eastern section of Ashgrove Golf Course.

The proposal seeks approval for 76 independent living apartments, made up of 35 two-bedroom apartments and 41 three-bedroom apartments. The buildings would sit within a 7,145sqm lease area on the broader 40.6ha golf club site.

The project is designed by Cox Architecture and lodged by Aura Holdings, with Urbis listed as planning consultant. The application is impact assessable and remains in progress.

The building height is one of the clearest points of attention. The proposal reaches 10 storeys overall, although its Waterworks Road presentation is listed as seven storeys. The plans include a gross floor area of 11,615sqm, 3,955sqm of site cover, 1,349.33sqm of deep planting and 1,694.49sqm of communal space.

Ashgrove Golf Course — Photo Credit: DA/A007011234

Height And Views Form Early Concerns

The Gap proposal has already drawn at least one objection. A submission dated 10 May 2026 opposed the development on the basis of height, outlook, traffic and suitability for retirement living at the site.

The submission raised concern that nearby homes would look towards the proposed buildings instead of the mountains and golf course. It also questioned the scale of the buildings in the local area and raised concerns about additional traffic on Waterworks Road, which was described as already busy and slow in that section.

Walkability was also raised. The submission argued the site was too far from The Gap shops for retirement living residents and raised concern about scooters on footpaths and the risk of traffic incidents.

Those concerns remain part of the assessment material. The application has not been decided.

retirement facility — Photo Credit: DA/A007011234

Design Response Focuses On Setbacks And Planting

The design material presents the project as a landscape-led response to the golf course site. It says the buildings have been shaped around the slope of the land, with parking partly concealed beneath a landscaped podium and the taller form positioned further into the course setting.

A mature fig tree near the entry is used as a key feature in the design. The plans arrange arrival points, pedestrian paths and internal circulation around the tree, while also using planted areas, bridge links and setbacks to break up the building form.

The material identifies homes opposite the site on Waterworks Road and says the proposal has been considered against nearby residential outlooks. It lists an approximate 60-metre separation from residences, supported by landscaping and a break between the two wings.

Road-facing apartments would also include acoustic responses because of traffic noise along Waterworks Road. These include solid balustrades and glazing treatments, with façades designed to manage noise while retaining the broader architectural form.

Apartments Planned For Ageing In Place

The proposal is aimed at older residents seeking independent living accommodation in The Gap. Apartment layouts are planned with wide internal circulation, large balcony openings, level access thresholds and storage features intended to support residents over time.

Resident facilities would include a swimming pool, wellness area, consultant room, wine room, bar and billiards area, rooftop garden, rooftop dog wash and landscaped communal areas. Some communal spaces would look over the golf course and surrounding hills.

The development also proposes 105 parking spaces for residents, staff and visitors, including 82 resident spaces and 23 staff and visitor spaces. Twelve resident golf buggy spaces are also included.

Golf club parking would be replaced or supplemented through 40 spaces, made up of 33 replacement spaces, one accessible space and six new spaces. Vehicle access would use the existing golf club area, while servicing and loading are identified from Bennett Road.

The Gap retirement facility — Photo Credit: DA/A007011234

Assessment Continues For Waterworks Road Proposal

The application was submitted on 27 April 2026, recorded as properly made on 7 May 2026, and had a confirmation notice sent on 14 May 2026. Public notification dates have not yet been listed.

Application material has also been provided to Powerlink as part of the referral process.

The proposal is more than a new retirement facility. It is a test of how a large green site along Waterworks Road could accommodate older residents’ housing while still addressing height, traffic, views, landscape and the surrounding neighbourhood edge.

Published 15-May-2026

Café Tara The Gap Marks 21 Years as a Suburb’s Beloved Meeting Place

Photo Credit: Facebook / Cafe Tara The Gap

For more than two decades, one café in The Gap has been quietly doing something that goes well beyond serving a good flat white. Café Tara The Gap celebrated its 21st anniversary this April, marking a milestone that has prompted an outpouring of affection from locals who have grown up — in some cases, literally — alongside it.

The café opened its doors in 2005, founded by a family with a vision for a warm and welcoming neighbourhood space. Run by Prashaant, Jiji, Satyam, Asha and Pramesh, it has built its reputation on an all-day breakfast and brunch menu that blends traditional Fijian flavours with a contemporary approach, paired with coffee made using Merlo beans and Milk Lab milk.

To mark the occasion, the family offered free coffees to the community on 16 April, between 9am and 11am — a simple gesture that says a great deal about how Café Tara has always operated. A Merlo hamper giveaway also ran throughout the first half of the month, with customers entering the draw simply by purchasing a coffee.

The anniversary post on the café’s Facebook page quickly filled with messages from locals sharing memories that span years and, in some cases, generations. One commenter recalled stopping in for strawberry milkshakes before preschool in 2006. Others spoke of friendships formed over the café tables, of familiar faces and the kind of consistency that makes a place feel like home. Neighbouring businesses, including The Gap Day & Night Pharmacy and The Gap Creative, joined in to acknowledge the café’s role in the suburb’s social fabric.

It is the sort of reception that reflects something increasingly rare — a small, family-run business that has held its place in a community through changing times, simply by showing up and caring about the people who walk through the door.

The Café Tara family thanked their regulars in their anniversary message, noting that every conversation and connection over the years has genuinely meant something to them.

For The Gap, 21 years of Café Tara is not just a business milestone. It is, by all accounts, a neighbourhood one.

Published 28-April-2026

New Two-Storey Childcare Centre Proposed for Waterworks Road to Meet Growing Demand in The Gap

DA A006964015

A development application lodged in February 2026 proposes a new two-storey childcare centre on Waterworks Road in The Gap, designed by Raunik Design Group to accommodate up to 100 children across six activity rooms on a 2,551-square-metre site adjacent to The Gap State School.

The application, reference A006964015, involves the demolition of two existing dwelling houses to make way for the purpose-built early learning facility. It arrives as The Gap continues to face one of the tightest childcare supply situations of any suburb in Brisbane, with independently verified data showing the suburb’s demand for long day care places running significantly above the metropolitan average.

A Suburb with a Real Childcare Shortage

The case for additional childcare capacity in The Gap is well supported by supply and demand data. The Gap currently has 2.4 resident children under five years of age per long day care place, a figure significantly higher than the 1.7 children per place recorded across Greater Brisbane as a whole. Put plainly, The Gap has considerably fewer childcare places per child than the Brisbane average, and that gap directly affects families trying to access care, particularly for children under two where demand is most acute.

Site of the proposed childcare centre — Photo Credit: DA A006964015

As of early 2025, The Gap had five long day care centres providing 350 places across the suburb, serving a population estimated at 18,071 residents, of whom approximately 854 are children under five years of age. The Waterworks Road proposal, if approved, would add 100 licensed places to that supply, representing a meaningful increase of roughly 28 per cent in the suburb’s long day care capacity.

The timing is also relevant. From January 2026, changes to the national Child Care Subsidy introduced the Three Day Guarantee, which provides all eligible families with a minimum of 72 hours of subsidised care per fortnight regardless of their work or activity status. That change increases demand further without adding supply, making new facilities like the Waterworks Road proposal more important to The Gap’s community infrastructure than ever.

What the Development Proposes

The proposed childcare centre sits on a combined site currently comprising two residential lots on Waterworks Road, directly adjacent to The Gap State School. The development covers a gross floor area of 918.4 square metres across two storeys, with a maximum building height of approximately 9.5 metres and a site cover of 35.3 per cent of the 2,551-square-metre block.

The building delivers six internal activity rooms, each with direct access to outdoor play areas, creating the indoor-outdoor learning environment that contemporary early childhood education frameworks emphasise. Three outdoor play areas totalling 737.8 square metres are distributed across both ground and first floor levels, giving different age groups independent access to outdoor space throughout the day. Acoustic treatments are incorporated into the design to minimise noise impacts on neighbouring properties, reflecting the site’s position within a Low Density Residential zone.

Car parking provides 21 spaces including a PWD space and a van space, all contained onsite and accessed via a single crossover from Waterworks Road. Operating hours are proposed as 6:30am to 6:30pm Monday to Friday.

Application planners Place Creation describe the building’s design intent as delivering a high degree of architectural merit, with articulation in built form addressing both the Waterworks Road frontage and the adjacent school. The design uses a range of materials alongside varied setbacks, overhangs and a varied roof form to minimise the apparent bulk and scale of the building when viewed from neighbouring properties.

Addressing Local Childcare Demand

For families across The Gap, Keperra, Walkervale and the surrounding northwest Brisbane corridor, the addition of 100 new childcare places on Waterworks Road addresses a real and persistent pressure. The suburb’s family demographic, its distance from the CBD and its limited public transport connections make local childcare access particularly important. Parents who cannot secure a place near home face significant logistical challenges, and the suburb’s above-average childcare demand ratio means waitlists at existing centres in The Gap regularly extend well beyond what most families can plan around.

The Waterworks Road site’s adjacency to The Gap State School also creates a practical convenience for families managing both childcare and school-aged children at the same address, a combination that reduces the complexity of the morning and afternoon care and school run for working parents.

How to Make a Submission

The development application for the Waterworks Road childcare centre is available for public review on the Development.i portal at developmenti.brisbane.qld.gov.au using reference A006964015. Community members, neighbours and interested residents can view the full application documents and lodge a properly made submission during the public notification period.

A properly made submission must be in writing, include the submitter’s name and contact address, clearly identify the application it relates to, and set out the grounds for the submission with supporting facts and circumstances. Submissions can be lodged through the Development.i portal or in writing to BCC.

Published 28-March-2026.

Motorcyclist Critically Injured in Collision at Waterworks Road

Photo Credit: Pixabay

A serious collision between a motorcycle and a car occurred this morning at Waterworks Road just before 8 AM on September 11, 2024.

Emergency services responded to calls reporting the collision. Upon arrival, they found the male motorcyclist on the ground, surrounded by bystanders. He was conscious and breathing at the scene.

The rider sustained life-threatening injuries, including trauma to his arm. He was transported to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, where he is currently fighting for his life.

The female driver of the car involved in the crash declined medical assessment at the scene.

The accident has caused traffic disruptions, with reduced inbound lanes on Waterworks Road. Authorities are advising motorists to expect delays and avoid the area if possible.

The Forensic Crash Unit is investigating the circumstances of the collision at Waterworks Road. They are appealing for witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage to come forward to assist with their enquiries.

Published 11-September-2024

The Gap Retiree Becomes $50,000 Richer in an Instant

A retiree from The Gap wasn’t expecting anything during her visit to newsXpress on Waterworks Road but she instantly became $50,000 richer.

The woman is now enjoying the boost in her retirement fund after officials from The Lott confirmed that the money is now in her bank account.

The retiree said she went to newsXpress to purchase a $4 Cool Bananas Bingo ticket and was “just scratching away, as I usually do.” She could not believe her lucky stars when she saw $50,000 from her scratched ticket.

The winner has not yet decided on what she’ll do with her newly acquired wealth so, for now, she will let it sit in the bank.

“[It’s] for a rainy day and to enjoy throughout my retirement,” she said.

According to The Lott, Instant Scratch-Its has had 177 winners in 2020, collectively winning $16 million in top prizes. However, players of the easy game have won more than 32.3 million across the prize tiers.

The Instant Scratch-Its is unlike any other game because the players do not have to wait for a draw. There are seven million Instant Scratch-Its distributed across the country every year with tickets priced for $1 to $20.

The Lott stated that the odds of winning any prize on Instant Scratch-Its ticket are generally 1-in-4. Prizes less than $1,500 can be claimed at any authorised retail outlet.