A towering billboard in Red Hill that sparked a five-year legal battle between a Brisbane homeowner and Brisbane City has finally been relocated, marking the end of a long-running dispute.
Read: Red Hill Resident Wins Case Against Billboard Installation Next to His House
The four-storey LED billboard, first installed in 2020 on Musgrave Road in Red Hill, had loomed just metres from a worker’s cottage owned by lawyer Richard Leahy. The structure, operated by signage company GSM, had partially blocked the home’s panoramic city views and prompted a legal saga that escalated all the way to the High Court of Australia.
Mr Leahy challenged the council’s decision to approve the billboard without consulting neighbouring property owners, arguing it breached procedural fairness. In 2022, the Brisbane Supreme Court agreed, finding that the council had failed to properly consider the visual impact on surrounding homes. The court ordered the approval be overturned.
Despite the ruling, the billboard remained in place while the council launched further appeals — all of which were eventually dismissed. In a final attempt, the council sought to escalate the matter to the High Court but later withdrew its application.
The impasse was only resolved when the council approved a new development application to reposition the billboard roughly 25 metres down the road, outside the popular Black Rabbit Espresso coffee cart. The move took place late last week, with cranes removing the massive 5.3m by 11.3m structure.
Read: Appeals Court Rules in Favour of Removing Behemoth Billboard in Red Hill
The cost of the legal battle remains undisclosed, though council was ordered to pay the majority of Mr Leahy’s legal fees, which included the services of senior barristers. The total bill to ratepayers is likely to have reached tens of thousands of dollars.
While the relocated sign still sits within close range of homes and businesses, the move has officially brought one of Brisbane’s most unusual planning disputes to a close.
Published 2-July-2025
