Strathfield mayor Antoine Doueihi in strife over property dealings

A Sydney mayor has been found to have engaged in misconduct for his alleged failure to declare his extensive property dealings.

A Sydney mayor who complained the NSW Liberal Party treats property developers worse than brothel owners has been found to have engaged in “misconduct” over property dealings by a government ­investigation.

The NSW Office of Local Government (OLG) has ref­erred Strathfield Liberal Mayor Antoine Doueihi to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) following a two-year investigation into his alleged failure to declare his extensive property dealings.

“I am satisfied that Cr Doueihi has engaged in misconduct,” NSW OLG deputy secretary Tim Hurst finds in a document obtained by The Saturday Telegraph.

Referring the findings to NCAT opens the door to Mr Doueihi receiving a tougher penalty if the Tribunal makes a finding against him.

Cr Antoine Doueihi

Labor local government spokesman Greg Warren again called on Mr Doueihi to stand aside from his mayoral position until the matter is ­finalised.

“The findings of this departmental report, which I understand have been finalised, need to be made public,” he said.

“It’s absurd that property developers can’t donate to NSW political parties but can sit on local councils.

“Labor continues to push for the banning of property ­developers and real estate agents from local councils.”

Mr Doueihi claims to not be either a property developer or a close associate of a property developer, according to documents lodged with the NSW Electoral Commission.

Greg Warren has called for Mr Doueihi to stand aside. Picture: AAP Image/Joel Carrett

Alongside business partner Robert Gregory, Mr Doueihi is co-director and equal shareholder in DB and DD Sutherland Developments, a com­pany which developed a 24-apartment complex in Suth­erland worth an estimated $15 million. The Acton St development was built by his son ­Michael’s company Dynamic Projects.

In 2013 the NSW Land and Environment Court fined Mr Doueihi $43,000 after he pleaded guilty to carrying out development without development consent.

Mr Doueihi added four additional boarding house rooms to his Burwood Rd, Burwood development — potentially netting him hundreds of thousands of dollars in extra ­income over time.

Mr Doueihi did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

NSW Local Government Minister Shelley Hancock also declined to comment.

The referral has brought ­renewed focus on whether the Liberal Party will seek to ­remove party members from running on Liberal tickets in next year’s local government elections.

Originally published as Strathfield mayor Antoine Doueihi in strife over property dealings