Ray Williams blasts developer Jean Nassif over Toplace development in Cherrybrook

High profile property developer Jean Nassif has been accused of financially supporting senior Liberals to put new councillors on The Hills Shire Council who would be supportive of future Toplace development applications.

High profile property developer Jean Nassif has been accused of financially supporting senior Liberals to put new councillors on The Hills Shire Council who would be supportive of future Toplace development applications.

But Mr Nassif’s company has hit back, with a Toplace spokesman saying “there is nothing of substance or new in the assertions”.

Castle Hill Liberal MP Ray Williams has also called for an external investigation into the matter because of an “inherent conflict of interest” within the Liberal Party State Executive.

Mr Williams launched an extraordinary attack on the Toplace founder and former Liberal Party state executive member Christian Ellis.

Speaking in NSW parliament Thursday night under parliamentary privilege, Mr Williams said former Castle Hill Liberal Mayor Michelle Byrne and six sitting councillors were replaced at last year’s local government election “without the usual preselection processes normally afforded to such positions”.

Toplace property developer Jean Nassif had his plans for high-rise apartment blocks in Castle Hill knocked back.

“Allegations have been raised with me that senior people within the NSW Liberal Party, a member of the Liberal Party state executive and former Hills councillor, were supported financially at the time by a large developer by the name of Jean Nassif, who owns Toplace,” Mr Williams told NSW parliament.

“Toplace has one of the worst records in the residential building industry.

An artist’s impression of Toplace high rise residential towers proposed for Cherrybrook.

“According to media reports, Toplace continues to produce faulty apartments with serious building defects across the Sydney metropolitan area, including in my electorate of Castle Hill.

“Apparently prior to the council elections Jean Nassif of Toplace met with Christian Ellis and other senior members of the Liberal Party, who were paid significant funds in order to arrange to put new councillors on The Hills Shire Council who would be supportive of future Toplace development applications.

“Christian Ellis is the owner of a lobbyist company and at the time a Liberal Party state executive member who listed Toplace as one of his major clients.”

Mr Williams said in parliament that it has been well documented that “Jean Nassif of Toplace had purchased a number of properties between Highs Rd and Glenhope Rd, Castle Hill for the amount of $250 million”.

Castle Hill MP Ray Williams told parliament there needed to be an investigation into whether Christian Ellis had received financial benefit from Toplace to put new councillors on The Hills Shire Council. Picture: Damian Shaw

“Once purchased by Toplace, the company then sought a planning proposal through The Hills Shire Council for thousands of new high-rise apartments to be constructed on this land, with some apartments to be above 20 storeys in height.

“The proposal raised the ire of the community and was quite rightly refused by both the council officers on The Hills Shire Council and the NSW Department of Planning and

An artist’s impression of Toplace residential units proposed for Cherrybrook.

Environment local planning panel but the proposal was wholeheartedly supported by certain councillors at the time.

“Hills councillors have raised with me that one previous councillor — who is now a member of the NSW parliament — actively supported the Toplace development proposal during this time, apparently arranging meetings with The Hills Shire Council staff together with Toplace consultants, speaking favourably during council meetings on behalf of the Toplace planning proposal and caucusing with Liberal councillors in order to obtain support for Toplace.”

“If Christian Ellis, senior members of the Liberal Party, a former councillor and now member of the NSW parliament, received financial benefit from Jean Nassif of Toplace in order to put new councillors on The Hills Shire Council who would subsequently be supportive of development applications on behalf of Toplace, then my community has good reason to be very concerned,” he told the Legislative Assembly.

“This issue must be investigated.

“However, due to the inherent conflict of interest that currently exists with members of the Liberal Party state executive, only an external investigation will substantiate these allegations, or ultimately refute them.”

Mr Nassif has been approached for comment.

A Toplace spokesman said “if Mr Williams wishes to have these allegations subject to external scrutiny — Mr Nassif asks that Mr Williams simply repeat them outside the chambers of Parliament”.

“Otherwise, Mr Williams cannot expect anyone to regard his allegations as credible,” the spokesman said.

The Toplace statement said Mr Nassif met with Mr Williams twice to explain the company’s Cherrybrook proposal.

“At the time Mr Williams said the project was outside of his electorate and therefore not something he was concerned with,” the spokesman said.

“It is inconsistent for Mr Williams to pretend to care about this project now.

“Mr Nassif has never met any of the newly elected councillors on Hills Shire Council or had any involvement with them whatsoever.”

The Toplace proposal around Cherrybrook Metro station will add 700 commuter car spaces, $565 million in economic activity creating around 1800 immediate jobs, according to the developer.

“It is sad that politicians concerned with internal disputes with other politicians have involved this proposal, without any justification, to score cheap points and easy headlines,” the Toplace spokesman said.

“Mr Nassif will be requesting his citizen’s right of reply to refute these allegations directly.”