The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) intends to replace the Marburg Radar weather station with a new, upgraded facility.

This was revealed in an application from BoM to the Ipswich City Council for development permits to formalise the zoning and leasing of the land on which it stands.

Known simply as the Marburg Radar, the facility stands at the top of the hill known as The Bluff in the Little Liverpool Range between Marburg and Rosewood.

The weather station is located on a 29-hectare private property and is accessed from a driveway off Paidley Road.

It is part of the national radar network reporting ‘real time’ weather conditions such as rain and wind

Documents lodged with the Council indicated that the existing facility would be demolished and replaced with a new equipment building, concrete hardstand, radar tower and satellite. The existing radar tower stands at 16 metres, whereas the new tower will reach 20 metres.

The BoM is seeking permits from Council to rezone the 400sqm site of the new weather station to ‘Major Facility’ and to undertake a ‘subdivision by lease’ over that portion of the property.

The application is currently being considered by Council’s planning officers.