Rob Stokes slams Harry Triguboff’s Little Bay development proposal

Billionaire property developer Harry Triguboff’s plan to build a “Meriton mega development” at Little Bay has been labelled by Planning Minister Rob Stokes as “inappropriate”.

Billionaire property developer Harry Triguboff’s plan to build a “Meriton mega development” metres from the water in Sydney’s east has taken a massive blow.

In an extraordinary intervention, Planning Minister Rob Stokes labelled a plan to squeeze about 5000 people into Little Bay “inappropriate”.

The comments come weeks after Mr Triguboff said Mr Stokes “adds” to the city’s planning problems by ­refusing to work as part of a team.

The 13.5ha site, located near Long Bay Jail, was originally slated for 445 apartments up to five-storeys high.

But in a proposal being considered by the Sydney Eastern City Planning Panel, Meriton wants to put more than 1900 apartments in towers up to 18 storeys.

Randwick Council recommended the proposal be rejected.

The proposed development at Little Bay.

The Meriton-owned development site at Little Bay in December 2020. Picture: Monique Harmer

In a letter Mr Stokes sent to the Maroubra Liberal Party branch this week, obtained by The Saturday Telegraph, he said: “I am concerned the planning proposal represents a significant departure from the community’s reasonable expectation about the scale of the development in Little Bay.

“The proposed built form is inappropriate as an isolated development in a sensitive coastal location.”

Mr Stokes’ office did not respond to requests for comment.

Meriton’s proposal was met with howls of opposition from ­community groups and four separate eastern suburbs Liberal Party conferences.

The area remains without a Sydney Metro link, with no funding commitment to these connections before 2041 to the Sydney CBD and before 2056 to Sydney Airport and Kogarah.

Mr Triguboff told a business lunch last month: “In Sydney we have (had) a problem for many years with the planning department.

“It’s not the fault of the present minister – he only adds to it.

“Somebody has to go and explain to him that he’s part of a team.”

Meriton founder Harry Triguboff’s Little Bay development has taken a blow. Picture: James Horan

Planning Minsiter Rob Stokes slammed the Meriton development. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Nikki Short

In a June 2019 urban design study, Meriton described a separate and “aspirational” vision to also develop the adjoining Land and Housing Corporation land properties (11.5ha) and the Long Bay Correctional Facility (41.59ha).

There are no plans to sell those government assets.

“We were never aware that the Planning Minister was directly involved, as we have not been able to get an answer from him,” Mr Triguboff said on Friday.

“So what he now says is entirely up to him. However, we have been going through an independent process that he laid out, from which he specifically excludes himself.”

Eastern suburbs Young Liberals president Pat Moore said “it is really encouraging to hear the Minister agree with the community response that the development is completely out of character with expectations”.

“No one wants another Meriton mega development towering over the coastline and completely isolated from transport,” Mr Moore said.

“We look forward to a favourable decision from the independent planning panel that will block this gross overdevelopment once and for all.”