Karl Stefanovic $4.5 million mansion battle with council

A lavish home renovation plan by the TV personality and his wife has hit a significant hurdle and will have to be resolved in court.

A lavish home renovation plan by TV personality Karl Stefanovic and wife Jasmine has descended into a clash between the celebrity couple and local council after Willoughby Council refused the proposal.

In March, Stefanovic lodged a $4.5 million proposal to knock down and rebuild his three-bedroom property in Castlecrag, with the new home boasting features including a spa, terraces and a poolroom.

Plans lodged by Stefanovic show the redevelopment would span five levels and include five bedrooms, five bathrooms, a swimming pool and spa, and dining and living areas.

Karl and Jasmine Stefanovic with their daughter Harper. Picture: Supplied

Willoughby Council has still not made a final decision on the redevelopment.

But a development application that is not approved by the council within 40 days is deemed refused, by NSW planning laws.

Those who lodged the application are able to file an appeal to the Land and Environment Court to assess the plans.

Jasmine has since filed a legal challenge against the council.

Stefanovic’s current home he shares with wife Jasmine and daughter Harper.

According to documents lodged with the plans, the proposal was found to “improve the environmental performance of the dwelling” and “fits into its context of emerging new dwellings in a well treed street in an area of Sydney known for its natural landscape qualities”.

Overall it was found to be “generally compliant” with planning laws with the exception of floor plan space ratio controls.

This breach requires “written request” to be prepared and submitted with the application.

The Stefanovics argue the breach has arisen because of “sloped topography of the site” rather than genuinely contravening of development standards.

Maysaa Parrino, who is representing Jasmine, said it was “inappropriate to comment” on the case at the time,” according to The Daily Telegraph.

A Willoughby Council spokesman declined to comment to news.com.au on the stoush.

A concept image of the new development planned at the site.

But Winny Lee, whose parents own a property in Castlecrag, wrote a scathing submission to council objecting to the plans.

In the submission she said she was “very concerned with the height of the building and the impact it will have on our view in the backyard”.

Another submission by Amanda and Jim Chen raised “serious concerns” about “potential transmitted ground vibrations during demolition, loss of view, potential reflections on their property, as well as safety issues regarding the rock excavation”.

The pair are in a legal stoush with Willoughby Council.

The pair married in a lavish ceremony in Mexico.

“We are not confident the height will not obstruct or create any loss of view,” the pair said.

But local resident, Anthony Issa, wrote in support of the renovation plans arguing it will “uplift the area with design”.

The brawl over Stefanovic’s pad gives a further glimpse into his home life which became tabloid fodder after Karl’s very public marriage breakdown to Cassandra Thorburn in 2016.

An overview of the site in question.

Few Australian couples have captured the attention of the public quite like Karl and Jasmine.

The pair married in Mexico in 2018 and welcomed their daughter Harper May in 2020.

Earlier this year Stefanovic unleashed on juveniles who were targeting his home, during a segment on the youth crime.

Enough is enough,” he exclaimed. “This has happened to me, happened to my family. ‘I’ve had kids come to my house, doing things. I’ve got them on tape. I know who they are.

“I have to decide what I’m going to do with it. If I didn’t have that vision, I wouldn’t know what to do, and this would keep on happening and happening because the cops can’t be everywhere at once. It is only relatively minor offences.”