Arncliffe: Princes Highway complex residents slam HP Building Group’s serviced apartments plan

Residents of a southern Sydney complex, once home to an alleged international sex trafficker, have slammed plans to turn empty units into serviced apartments. Here’s what they’re worried about.

The complex in Arncliffe. Picture: Google Maps

Residents of a southern Sydney complex, once home to an alleged international sex trafficker, have hit out at a developer’s plan to turn empty units into serviced apartments.

In a public submission to the local council, one opponent even claims the developer told residents they should accept the proposal or they would end up with “a brothel or a tattoo parlour” at the Arncliffe address.

“Security has been an issue since the beginning of the complex,” the resident wrote in the submission.

The submission was made to Bayside Council in response to a development application lodged by HP Building Group Pty Ltd, which is proposing to revamp eight apartments at the “Bloom” complex located at 213 Princes Highway.

Serviced apartments are a cross between a hotel and Airbnb-style accommodation. They are fitted out like a regular home but regularly professionally cleaned, similar to a hotel.

Surya Subekti, who is charged with trafficking a child from Indonesia, lived within the complex. Picture: Australian Federal Police

However, current residents of the complex have pushed back, with one opponent pointing out security concerns and that an alleged sex trafficker had lived there.

“This building complex has suffered from a number of police call-outs, fire department being called in for no reason,” an unidentified resident said in a submission in response to the development application.

The front entrance of the Princes Hwy, Arncliffe complex. Picture: Google Maps

The resident’s submission also refers to Surya Subekti, who is alleged to have been involved in an international sex trafficking scheme, having lived at the complex.

Subekti, 43, has been charged with three counts of organising the entry to Australia of a person under 18 to provide sexual services, as well as single charges of possessing child abuse material and using a carriage service to transmit, promote or publish child abuse.

He was granted bail in July and was ordered to stay at least 500m away from a licensed brothel, told not to contact witnesses and banned from being in the company of minors without his wife present.

Subekti was also ordered not to use mobile phones or “smart” devices connected to the internet and, not to use encrypted communication apps including WhatsApp, Zoom, Discord or Snapchat.

The site plan with the proposed new serviced apartments highlighted in pink. Picture: BL Designs

He remains before the courts.

HP Building Group Pty Ltd did not respond to requests for comment.

But its plan is unpopular with existing residents of the complex, with another writing in their submission that “mixing service apartments with residential units when we are right alongside two primary schools doesn’t make sense”.

“You will get random people passing by an area where young families want to stay, creating safety issues … if any crimes are committed, they are gone before you can find them,” they wrote.

Other residents have publicly slammed the proposal as a “brazen backdoor attempt” by “a greedy developer”.

“The residents at Bloom do not have control over the management of this (sic) proposed serviced apartments, yet we are being forced to live with this in our community,” one person wrote.

The development application states the proposed apartments would be used for a maximum of three months “per tenancy”, in line with council policy.

It also says the proposal “an innovative approach in relation to the utilisation of vacant commercial tenancies”.

The application is under assessment, with the public able to make submissions until October 8.