Brisbane Isuzu has opened a new branch near the Bruce Highway which sets new standards in environmental efficiency
By Gary Worrall
Not just content to rest on his laurels as one of Australia’s leading Isuzu dealers, Brisbane Isuzu dealer principal Alan Newcombe has raised the bar for all truck dealerships with the opening of the new Burpengary branch.
Located next to the busy Bruce Highway, on Brisbane’s northern outskirts, the new dealership raises the bar for competitors not just in relation to the showroom and administration, but also in the service section and sets new standards in environmental efficiency.
Built on a greenfield site, the dealership features 7500 square metres of roof, all feeding into 500,000 litres of underground water storage, as well as numerous power saving measures.
Newcombe says while he does not call himself a ‘greenie’, he is environmentally conscious, and this is the third of his operations to feature environmental initiatives.
“The adjacent site here was built in 2001, and it was the first to put in place a water saving strategy,” he says.
Following this, the redevelopment of the Brisbane Isuzu dealership at Archerfield in Brisbane’s south included a 60,000 litre water storage, which proved to be not enough, Newcombe says.
“The we did the Village Motors site, and put in 180,000 litres, but even that was not enough, so when we drew the plans for this place, we went big.
“We like to be proactive, not reactive, so this site surpasses all requirements.”
While the water capture and storage are impressive, they are not the only major initiatives.
According to Pete Kenny, the group service manager, there is a triple interceptor waste separator for waste water; swipe card key tagged switches used in customer lounge and bedrooms for activation of lighting and air-conditioning; as well as the hot water system in lounge and washroom areas being activated by motion sensors to reduce power consumption.
“In addition, lighting systems using T5 28 watt technology with electronic ballast instead of iron core, all lighting areas are motion sensor activated which reduces electricity consumption considerably, and light reflective concrete flooring in workshop, reducing the requirement for consistent overhead lighting.”