Steve and Sarah Vizard hurt by false claims about Arthurs Seat property
Steve and Sarah Vizard have won the latest round in a legal stoush with Mornington Peninsula Shire council over an Arthurs Seat property.
South East
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TV star and former lawyer Steve Vizard and wife Sarah have received a grovelling apology from Mornington Peninsula Shire over a legal spat involving an Arthurs Seat farm.
The Vizards are locked into a legal battle with the council over planning permits for the sprawling property owned by a company of which Sarah is the director and sole shareholder.
The council has named the couple in court proceedings launched over earthworks carried out at the farm about a year ago.
Mornington Peninsula Shire Planning and Compliance Manager Paul Lewis told the Leader on December 15 that Steve and Sarah Vizard had undertaken earthworks at the property which “effectively created a dam within Waterfall Creek”.
A few days later on December 24 the council issued a statement acknowledging the harm suffered by Mr and Mrs Vizard by the claim.
“The council and Mr Lewis unreservedly and sincerely retract and apologise for the false statement,” the statement reads.
The council also promised not to make any further public comments in relation to the matter prior to its final resolution
Ms Vizard said the couple was “immensely hurt” by the council’s “false and damaging statements” about repair works at the farm.
“We’ve carefully fixed a small 50 year old farm dam, broken fences and troughs so we can get cattle back on our farm,” she said.
“Our family love the Mornington Peninsula.
“We’ve planted hundreds of trees, preserved the native waterway and encouraged the local wildlife to return.”
The matter was scheduled to be heard in the magistrates court in March where the council was expected to argue that the work was in breach of Section 126 of the Planning and Environment Act and contrary to the Mornington Peninsula Planning Scheme.
The Vizards have vowed to defend the matter “to the hilt.”
The court battle is the latest in a series of high-profile cases brought by the council in its fight to stop residents carrying out work without permits.
Last year the shire won cases against the companies of trucking tycoon Lindsay Fox and former AFL player Chris Judd.
Fox’s company was fined $20,000 on September 6, 2019 for illegally ripping up foreshore vegetation and replacing it with a massive lawn.
Days later, on September 12, Judd’s company Three Zebras was fined $40,000 for illegally clearing 3000sq m of preserved vegetation alongside a protected creek and dam in a green wedge zone at his Arthurs Seat holiday home because he was scared of snakes and bushfires.
