Singapore developer takes Qld govt to court over $51m CBD land bungle

World Class Land has launched a multimillion-dollar legal action against the Queensland government alleging land registry blunders left their CBD development site commercially worthless.

The planned 91-storey apartment building would have towered above many in the CBD.

A Singaporean developer has launched legal proceedings against the Queensland Government

seeking $51m in compensation over a land registration error.

In what was a bureaucratic blunder of monumental proportions, a Brisbane CBD lot that was purchased by World Class Land (WCL) was incorrectly recorded as freehold land with an earlier court case ruling that it actually contained a public road.

WCL, a subsidiary of the multi billion dollar Aspial Corp, which the Koh family own an 85 per cent share, had approval to build a 91-storey apartment tower on a 2000 sqm two-lot parcel of land on the corner of Margaret and Albert streets until it all went pear shaped.

WCL chief executive Wee Seng Koh says they had bought Lot 9 and lot 11 in 2014 for $35m “in good faith”, did their due diligence based on the official land register and all relevant documentation, which identified the parcel as freehold land.

However, in 2019, development activity stopped after a neighbouring property owner (Orb Holdings) initiated Supreme Court proceedings seeking a declaration that Lot 11 had and still has an L-shaped public road through it called Beatrice Lane.

Artist renders of the development planned for Albert St, Brisbane.

WCL and the State of Queensland and the Registrar of Titles, who were named as second and third respondents, failed in their bid in the Supreme Court to defend the State’s position that the lot was actually freehold.

The Court ultimately found that the freehold land register contained an error at the time

of WCL’s purchase. One of the lots had been incorrectly recorded as freehold land, when in fact it was a public road owned by the Crown. They also lost a subsequent appeal in December 2023.

Koh says it was discovered that there have been a “series of errors” by the Land Registry Office in regard to the freehold status of Lot 11 going back to 1971.

He says he’s now reluctantly making a Statement of Claim in the Supreme Court against the State of Queensland and Registrar of Titles to recover the $51m they has spent in buying Lot 11, holding the land and the costs involved in preparing the property for development.

WCL is no debutant having developed to 100-storey apartment tower Australian 108 in Melbourne

“It’s rare and unforeseen set of circumstances,” Koh says.

“We have spent too much money for no return. We’re exhausted by the whole process.

“I hope there can be a quick resolution. Under the legislation when we suffer loss and damage because of errors you are entitled to compensation. That’s the rule of law.”

Despite seeking alternative development options WCL deemed it commercially unviable and intend to sell Lot 9 and the balance of Lot 11 which in total is about 1640 sqm.

The land had been created by the registration of a plan of subdivision by the Trustees of the Brisbane Grammar School in 1876 and the L-shaped lane was built around 1887 to service buildings on Margaret St.

A spokesman for the Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing and Regional and Rural Development said they were aware that a registered owner of a parcel of land has made a claim for compensation under the Land Title Act 1994.

They refused to comment further.

Originally published as Singapore developer takes Qld govt to court over $51m CBD land bungle