NSW Health confirms landowners tried to block $534mil Tweed Hospital site

IT’S been confirmed the landowners of the proposed Tweed Valley Hospital site attempted to block the aquisition of the land for the $534 million project.

NSW Health Infrastructure confirmed the landowners of the proposed $534 million Tweed Valley Hospital site at Cudgen attempted to block the acquisition of the land in the NSW Supreme Court on Tuesday.

The land at 771 Cudgen Rd was compulsory acquired by the NSW Government and gazetted on Friday, ending months of negotiations with the owners.

Duane Joyce and Kerry Prichard bought the 22-hectare property for $2 million in 2010.

A Health Infrastructure spokesman confirmed the application by Mr Joyce in the Supreme Court on Tuesday was rejected.

Debate over the new Tweed Hospital site has stretched on for several years now. Picture: Jerad Williams

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“The Judge concluded the application ‘was doomed to fail’ on the basis that the NSW Government had followed the correct and appropriate processes in making genuine attempts to acquire the land through negotiation with the landowners from the time they first offered their land for hospital purposes in late 2017 in their EOI,” the spokesman said.

“Justice Fagan dismissed the application and ordered the landowners to pay costs. The land required for the new hospital campus transferred to the NSW Government, with an Acquisition Notice published in the NSW Government Gazette on 2 November 2018.”

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard previously said the owners wanted a price “far, far above” what the land was worth.

It is understood several offers were tabled to Mr Joyce and Mr Prichard in the past months before Mr Joyce sought an injunction just days before the acquisition process was set to end.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard previously said the owners wanted a price far above what it was worth. Picture John Grainger

According to a judgment ruling, on February 5 negotiations took place between the two parties where the State Government offered “$2.5 million to $3 million” for the land.

However, Mr Joyce and Mr Prichard said they would require a price “in the early $30 millions”.

Further negotiations took place which saw the landowners ask for a total of $15 million with a non-refundable advance of $12.5 million.

On September 18, the landowners “rejected the possibility of any further meeting to discuss or negotiate the acquisition.”

It is understood a price was later agreed between the $4 million and $15 million mark.