Maryanne Beregi: North Sydney councillor’s home renovations after legal appeal

Ratepayers had to foot the $100,000 bill when a councillor took her own council to court over the refusal of her home renos last year. She’s now submitted a fresh $2.95m plan.

A north shore councillor has lodged a multimillion proposal to revamp her harbourside Sydney home after lodging another proposal that ended in a costly legal challenge against her own council.

North Sydney Councillor MaryAnn Beregi has lodged a fresh bid to renovate her heritage-listed Kurraba Point property with features including a home theatre, gym and piano room within a two storey extension below the existing home.

The $2.95 million application lodged to North Sydney Council in February shows the project would also include a new swimming pool, garage and landscaping works.

A concept plan of the development

The proposal comes after Ms Beregi lodged another development application in 2019 for alterations and additions to the home including a swimming pool, cabana, boat workshop, spa and double garage.

After initial assessment, the $3.7 million project was deemed refused by North Sydney Council – prompting Ms Beregi, who has served as a North Sydney councillor since 2012, to lodge an appeal against the decision to the NSW Land and Environment Court.

A council spokeswoman said the project was deemed refused because it was not determined within the 42 day deadline after it was submitted and that Ms Beregi  was “given the opportunity to withdraw the DA however chose to file an appeal in the Land and Environment Court.”

North Sydney councillor MaryAnn Beregi.

Eight months after the appeal was lodged, Ms Beregi withdrew the case in June last year on an agreement with North Sydney Council that each party pay their own legal costs.

The council said its legal fees relating to the case cost $100,937.34.

A council spokeswoman said the new plans have been assessed by an independent town planning consultant “due to the applicant being a councillor”.

The council spokeswoman said the consultant had raised a number of concerns with the current proposal and in response, amended plans were lodged to the council this week including additional soundproofing measures to outdoor pool equipment and a reduction in the size of the home theatre.

Ms Beregi told the North Shore Times the new development application had deen designed to address issues raised by the council.

“We withdrew the original DA and subsequently lodged an amended DA which reflects the concerns - I fail to understand how council has spent $100,000 on that matter,” she said.

“We live in the area and bought this as our family home - my DA should be assessed like any other and independently of the council.”

The latest proposal stated plans for the new rebuild would bring the heritage listed property known as St Agnes up to modern standards.

The proposal remains under assessment by North Sydney Council.