Row on millionaire’s row as huge paint spill upsets neighbours

An eastern suburbs-based millionaire has angered already furious neighbours after they claimed paint gushed from his home into the street and out into Sydney Harbour.

A still from video of paint down millionaire Gabriel Jakob’s Point Piper driveway.

An eastern suburbs-based millionaire has angered already furious neighbours after they claimed paint gushed from his home into the street and out into Sydney Harbour.

Neighbours of the millionaire entrepreneur Gabriel Jakob contacted Woollahra Council to alert it white paint was spilling from a Point Piper property in an incident being blamed on a rogue tradie.

Neighbours said six tradies were on site watching on Wednesday as “paint trickled down a 50-metre driveway”.

Woollahra Council sent rangers to Mr Jakob’s home and said: “Council received a call earlier today to respond to a paint spill incident at 42/42a Wolseley Rd, Point Piper”.

“Council’s regulatory and compliance staff attended the site immediately to take photographs and interview contractors on site,” the council said.

Woollahra Council sent rangers to Gabriel Jakob’s home after paint trickled down the 50m driveway.

“Council staff notified the EPA of the incident... and... investigations are now underway to determine the cause of the paint spill, remediation recommendations and what fines or legal action may apply.”

A spokesperson for the NSW Environment Protection Authority said: “The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) will provide advice to council if required.”

Asked whether it was the contractors or Mr Jakob who might be subject to any action or fines, the council said: “To be determined as part of the investigations. More info required.”

Contacted about the spillage, a spokesman for Mr Jakob said he wasn’t home and he was interstate.

“I’m told there was some accidental spillage of non-toxic liquid that found its way into the storm water outlet,” he added.

“An EPA officer came out to investigate and after inspecting the material concluded there was no serious risk to person or the environment and departed, apparently without requiring further action.

Multi-millionaire Gabriel Jakob has reportedly begun building a deck at his waterfront home without DA approval.

“Gabriel has few details beyond this at this stage – he is not even 100 per cent sure it was on his property.”

He later added that the incident was not due to the wrongdoing of any of his contractors.

“Gabriel’s builder has confirmed that the contractor in question is not one of Gabriel’s,” they said.

“The contractor had parked at number 42 in error, spilled the paint off the back of the van, panicked and tried to wash it away. He has confirmed the contractor’s details to the council who will investigate further.

“Any action on Gabriel and he will counterclaim.”

A concerned resident told The Daily Telegraph: “We are beyond fortunate to live on a beautiful street, so it is concerning to see such a spillage coming onto that street.”

The spillage comes as the rich entrepreneur is in the midst of a stoush with the council over the compliance of a new deck at his waterfront home.

He has stated he has done nothing wrong and that he awaiting a response from the council to documentation submitted in relation to the deck last week.

The council confirmed on Wednesday the deck was still the subject of an investigation.