23 March 2017 – Media Release
Cumberland Council has recently taken action against a number of small and large scale local developments. Amidst the surge of development in the greater Sydney area, some individuals have disregarded their obligation to gain consent for building in Cumberland and they have been dealt serious consequences.
Council took legal action against two such individuals who carried out building in Cumberland without permission and decisions have now been handed down on both matters. A fine of $105,000 was slapped on one individual by the NSW Land & Environment Court for unauthorised development of two primary dwellings. Another local property owner was handed a $50,000 fine in the Parramatta Local Court for unauthorised building works.
On a larger scale, Council has also recently issued dozens of penalty infringement notices to corporate developers totalling $123,000. These notices are usually issued when developers disregard conditions designed to keep the public safe.
Cumberland Council General Manager Malcolm Ryan weighed in on the issue:
“There is no excuse for anyone doing development in Cumberland to not gain required consent.”
“These laws are in place for a reason. The safety of the community needs to be protected as well as the people doing the work themselves. We also need to ensure that any development is within the character of the local area, otherwise Cumberland would become a patchwork of disorganised buildings causing real infrastructure and social problems.”
“It is simply reckless to ignore a legal obligation and put others in danger. Council will not put up with it, we will take action and as you can see the consequences are quite severe.”
“Enforcing these obligations is especially important when it comes to large scale developers who are often doing heavy and dangerous work in very public places. Council keeps a keen eye out and issues penalties for poor security fencing, impassable foot paths, blocked roads and damage to the environment.”
“It’s important for the community to know that this a serious issue and those who take these risks will pay the steep price.”
