Al-Faisal College Lakemba campus to proceed three years after illegal basement bust

Al-Faisal College has been granted conditional approval for a new southwest Sydney school campus, but it will have to cough up a huge sum after being busted building an unauthorised basement.

The Al-Faisal College campus in Auburn.

A rapidly growing Islamic school in Sydney’s southwest has received the green light to recommence works for a new campus, three years after it was busted building an illegal basement on the site.

Canterbury-Bankstown Council last week provided conditional approval to Al-Faisal College Limited to demolish 65 and 67 Croydon Street, Lakemba, to make way for a carpark.

It also green-lit alterations to the existing building at 69 Croydon Street. which is set to be used as a 350-place primary school.

The Al-Faisal College campus at Auburn. Picture: Cumberland Council

However, Al-Faisal will not be able to obtain an occupation certificate until works to partially fill the unauthorised basement level are completed.

A council spokeswoman previously said the “highly contentious” development had been the subject of several court matters.

In 2021, the council ordered Al-Faisal to halt works at the Lakemba site due to a “number of works occurring contrary to a development consent”.

Council investigations into the development found that, between September 2020 and April 2021, Al Faisal gave instructions to Decode Group which resulted in Decode’s subcontractor, AON Investments Pty Ltd, excavating a basement at the Lakemba site.

Decode then commenced construction of the basement despite Al-Faisal having no authorisation to do so.

The new Al-Faisal College primary school campus will be on Croydon St, Lakemba. Picture: AAP / Matthew Vasilescu

In February, Al-Faisal signed an enforceable undertaking agreement provided to the secretary of the NSW Department of Planning and Environment.

As part of the undertaking, Al-Faisal agreed to pay $300,000 to Canterbury-Bankstown Council in “financial contributions” and $37,000 in legal and investigation costs.

It also agreed to deliver a 12-month training program comprising regular refresher talks to staff and contractors involved in all current and future development.

While Al-Faisal admitted its conduct amounted to offences under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, the council has agreed not to prosecute the school as long as it complies with the enforceable undertaking.

Once completed, the primary school campus is expected cater for 350 students and 14 staff, a carpark and pick-up/drop-off area, and a playground.

Al-Faisal is an Islamic college founded in 1998. It already has three campuses at Liverpool, Auburn and Campbelltown, catering for more than 2000 students.