Secret underground ‘basketball court’ at Tartak mansion can’t be certified after council complaint

A wealthy Sydney family is working out how to avoid having to demolish an alleged underground basketball court after a complaint revealed its basement is metres deeper than approved plans allow.

Former BINGO Industries chief executive Daniel Tartak.

A wealthy Sydney family’s alleged underground basketball court at the centre of a planning stoush can’t be certified, the family’s lawyers say, after conceding the home’s basement is 2m deeper than proposed.

The Tartak family, who made their fortune from the Bingo waste management empire, sent lawyers to meet with the Strathfield council last week to discuss “planning matters” after the council received an anonymous complaint about an alleged unauthorised sporting facility being constructed at the block on Redmyre Road in Sydney’s inner west, sources have told The Australian.

Architect Rob Mills’s firm designed the renovation of the property, with plans showing the luxury mansion is set to have two stories plus a tennis court and swimming pool.

A spokesman for the Tartak family said “we continue to work constructively and respectfully with council”.

Internationally renowned architect Rob Mills.

“We reiterate that since the initial DA (development application), there has been one subsequent amendment and approval, which confirm that the approved footprint has not increased in size,” he said.

Tony Tartak, who founded Bingo Industries, and his family are worth $724m according to The Australian’s Richest 250.

The Australian has seen two sets of architectural drawings designed by the firm, one approved by council in 2021 with a standard basement and a shadow set of drawings from 2023 depicting a “basketball court” lying more than two metres deeper than the original drawings proposed.

During a meeting on March 24, the Tartaks’ lawyers told council there was “over” excavation of the basement and builders dug an extra two metres — amounting to about 800 cubic metres of soil — The Australian has been told.

It’s understood that as a result, a building certifier would not sign off on the site and the family are now intending to apply for a building information certificate that could temporarily stop the council from telling the Tartaks to demolish some or all of the property.

Render of 'Redmyre' property designed for a member of the Tartak family by Rob Mills Architecture.

According to NSW local authorities, owners or purchasers of a property can apply for a building information certificate if they suspect work was completed without council or private certifier approvals.

The certificate ensures “whole or part of the building covered by the certificate won’t be subject to any regulatory action by the local council for seven years”, according to government information online.

Regulatory action could include “demolishing, altering, adding to or rebuilding”.

The council will wait for the building information certificate to be submitted, and then compliance staff will undertake a “full investigation” for evidence of the alleged illegal building works, if they exist.

In response to a detailed list of questions, a council spokeswoman said: “Council is still undertaking our review and no further information is able to be provided.”

Daniel Tartak. Picture: Getty Images.

The council was first alerted about the alleged secret basketball court when it received questions from this masthead about an anonymous letter which said: “I am writing to advise of unauthorised building works at Redmyre Road, Strathfield.”

“Council approved plans on 12th of February 2021 for a new home to be constructed on this property. The approved plans contain a small, underground basement, however a very large underground sporting facility has now been built instead.”

Property records show Camilla Tartak is the current owner of the property.

Camilla is married to Daniel Tartak, who was hit with a criminal conviction and fined $100,000 last year after he pleaded guilty to price-fixing for waste management services.

The estimated cost of the luxury upgrade was $2.7m, off the back of a $7.2m purchase price in 2018.

Subsequent records show the property was sold in December for $9.4m, but CoreLogic data indicates only that one Tartak sold the property to another Tartak.

According to public records, it was Robyn Tartak who first submitted plans to renovate the property, which sits on a 2417sq m block, in 2019. Robyn is married to Mark Tartak, Daniel’s brother.

Originally published as Secret underground ‘basketball court’ at Tartak mansion can’t be certified after council complaint