Sale of the century: Questions surround a Bankstown development site bought for $1 that would result in an associate of Eddie Obeid's making millions | bencubby JordsBaker
When word got out that petrol was being offered for 1¢ a tank, thousands of people piled into their Datsuns, Lasers and Commodores and headed for the dusty little service station at Kemps Creek, west of Sydney.
At stake is the multibillion-dollar redevelopment of Bankstown’s entire CBD, packing 12,500 more apartments and many new businesses into two dozen streets, under a plan developed by the council during the tenure of embattled Canterbury Bankstown Mayor Khal Asfour.Bellevue function centre in Bankstown, a site he jointly owned with Obeid and recently acquired in full after paying just $1 to the financial controller of the Obeid family, Hassam Achie.
Asfour sits on the board of the local Bankstown Sports club, which is also slated for potential redevelopment under the plan, and said this was the reason he was absent from all briefings and votes during the planning process. To clear his name after the Mihailuk allegations, he has referred himself to the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
The council has also faced questions about transparency. In 2019, it said in a press release that councillors would pay their own travel costs during a trip to America. However, they only paid airfares, and other expenses – almost $150,000 worth – were picked up by ratepayers. They responded that the planned new metro railway station – with regular fast trains to and from central Sydney – had tended to re-orient Bankstown’s CBD about 150 metres to the east, serendipitously benefitting the Wehbe site.A requirement for commercial space in any future building might mean it was not the most profitable development site in Bankstown, they said.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Andrews ducks questions over cost of rail loopVictorian Premier Daniel Andrews batted away data revealing that the living standards of Victorians had gone backwards under his watch.
Read more »
Symbolism or succession clues? Debut of Kim Jong-un’s daughter sparks speculation over North Korea’s futureReveal of Ju Ae raises questions over whether Kim, who is in his 30s and has battled poor health, is starting to think about his successor
Read more »
Queensland police allowed sexist and racist attitudes to flourish – advocates are worried about its $100m ‘reward’As hard questions are asked about Queensland police’s leadership, concerns are raised about a new focus on recruitment
Read more »
How and what time to watch Socceroos vs Tunisia live: Australia at Fifa World Cup 2022The tournament is under way in Qatar. How can football fans follow the action? What time is kick-off against France, Tunisia and Denmark? Your questions answered with our guide
Read more »
Australia at the 2022 World Cup: how and what time to watch Socceroos matches liveThe tournament is under way in Qatar. How can football fans follow the action? What time is kick-off against France, Tunisia and Denmark? Your questions answered with our guide
Read more »