Property Development Dispute Reaches Land and Environment Court

The fate of one of Sydney’s most iconic harbourside buildings is currently under consideration by the NSW Land and Environment Court, reports Domain News.

The Sirius building is located in The Rocks area of Sydney and offers views of the Harbour Bridge and Sydney CBD. It was built in 1979 to provide social housing, but the majority of residents have now been relocated after the NSW Government announced its intention to sell off the building to developers to be demolished and replaced with private apartments. Only two residents now remain in the building.

There has been strong opposition to the Government’s plans, with community campaign group Save Our Sirius putting forward an alternative proposal on the future of the building. The group believes that if a ‘socially minded’ developer were to purchase the building it could be converted into a mix of affordable and public housing.

In 2016 the Heritage Council recommended that the Sirius Building be heritage listed, however this recommendation was rejected by the NSW Government. Save Our Sirius has appealed this decision to the Land and Environment Court (LEC), which is expected to give its decision in the next few months.

The LEC is NSW’s specialised court for hearing environmental, development, building and planning disputes.

It was established in September 1980 by the Land and Environment Court Act 1979, which provided for eight classes of jurisdiction in the Court, including:

• environmental, planning and protection appeals
• tree disputes and miscellaneous appeals
• civil enforcement and judicial review of decisions under planning or environmental laws
• criminal proceedings for offences against planning or environmental laws

Bringing a dispute to the LEC can be highly complex and so taking expert legal advice is always recommended.

Contact Szabo & Associates, Solicitors Expert Property & Conveyancing Lawyers

Szabo & Associates, Solicitors can offer expert advice on a wide range of Conveyancing and Property Law issues, including property development and property disputes (both trying to prevent them and helping resolve them). If the need arises, we have expertise in both Supreme Court and Land & Environment Court litigation. Please call us today on (02) 9281-5088 or fill in our online contact form.

Sources:

https://www.domain.com.au/news/push-to-save-sirius-sydneys-controversial-brutalist-landmark-20170607-gwlyoo/

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/brutal-or-beautiful-the-battle-to-save-sydneys-sirius-building/news-story/00729669db844d14fdeb1f3e31ae6fc4

http://www.lec.justice.nsw.gov.au/Pages/about/about.aspx