David Oldfield: Former One Nation MP wins court over his $17m Belrose seniors’ living development
Former One Nation MP and media personality David Oldfield has gone to court to seek approval to turn his old northern beaches’ marital home into a $17m development for seniors. See the verdict here.
NSW
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A $17.5m bid by former One Nation politician and celebrity TV regular David Oldfield to transform his former northern beaches’ family home into a retirement village has been approved.
Oldfield had to take the development application to the Land and Environment Court after local planning authorities knocked back plans for 35 seniors living units at Belrose.
He used to share the property, at 171 Forest Way, with his former wife Lisa Oldfield and their two children.
The high-profile couple — Ms Oldfield was an original cast member of Real Housewives of Sydney — separated in 2019. They bought the 1ha property, with ocean and bushland views, for $1.89m in 2011.
Mr Oldfield was an Upper House MP in the NSW parliament from 1999 to 2007. He also served on Manly Council from 1991-98 and was an adviser to former federal Liberal MP for Warringah, Tony Abbott.
He was a controversial co-founder of the One Nation political party with current senator Pauline Hanson and had a stint in talkback radio.
The Oldfield couple separated after 17 years together, soon after their colourful appearance on I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!
Plans lodged with Northern Beaches Council showed a series of separate pavilions, stepped down the sloping site with views east to the ocean.
The six buildings include two and three bedroom self-contained units for seniors and people living with disabilities. A series of common spaces, communal rooms, and courtyard areas would link the buildings. Parking for 72 vehicles would also be provided.
In documents lodged with the DA, architect Barry Rush wrote that the development had been designed to respond to Belrose’s natural environment as well as afford a “high level of amenity to future occupants”.
“The proposed building integrates the landscape features as essential components of the development,” Mr Rush said.
But in a submission to the council, the Belrose Rural Community Association objected to the “this large inappropriate” redevelopment of the site.
Association president Conny Harris wrote that it was “high intensity, high impact” and the “bushfire risk is substantial”.
In February last year, the independent Northern Beaches Local Planning Panel agreed with a council assessment that the development be refused because it exceeded the maximum 8.5m building height development standard.
“The proposal is of excessive height, bulk and scale and has not adequately responded to the site topography,” the council assessment report noted.
But this week, Land and Environment Court acting commissioner, Louise Byrne, granted Oldfield development consent for the project after he appealed the panel’s rejection. Agreement had been reached between him and the council after two court-convened conciliation conferences were held.
In her written judgement, Ms Byrne stated that an agreement had been reached about height issues and design changes that would better protect buildings in a bushfire.
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Originally published as David Oldfield: Former One Nation MP wins court over his $17m Belrose seniors’ living development
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