Rob Mills Architecture drawings probed after council tip-off over Tartaks’ ‘unauthorised’ basketball court claim

Local council officials are investigating claims a secret underground basketball court was built on a property owned by the ultra-wealthy family behind Bingo in an exclusive suburb.

Render of 'Redmyre' property designed for a member of the Tartak family by Rob Mills Architecture.

A secret underground basketball court allegedly being built by the family which made its fortune from the Bingo waste management empire is being investigated for a possible breach of local planning rules.

Strathfield council told The Australian it is probing claims an unauthorised sporting facility has been installed at a lavish property on Redmyre Road owned by the Tartaks and designed by renowned firm Rob Mills Architecture and Interiors.

“Council received a letter in relation to alleged unauthorised building works at this site on 12 March 2025, and is now investigating the matter,” a spokeswoman said.

In-demand luxury architect Rob Mills. Picture: Supplied

Rob Mills Architecture signed off on drawings approved by the council in 2021, but The Australian was sent a shadow set of drawings for the same property dated two years later, or March 2023.

A gym has been replaced with a basketball court in the newer drawings seen by The Australian.

“I am writing to advise of unauthorised building works at Redmyre Road, Strathfield,” the anonymous letter to Strathfield Council read.

“Council approved plans on 12th of February 2021 for a new home to be constructed on this property. The approved plans contain a small, underground basement, however a very large underground sporting facility has now been built instead.”

A spokesman for the Tartaks told The Australian they “contest the characterisation of the assertions”.

“We always work constructively and respectfully with Council and we have not been contacted on this matter,” he said.

“Since the initial DA (development approval) application, there has been one subsequent amendment and approval, which confirm that the approved footprint has not increased in size.

Former Bingo Industries CEO Daniel Tartak. Picture: Getty Images

“The footprint of the approved DA application, subsequent approvals, and the final built outcome remain consistent.”

If the allegations are true and Strathfield council finds the basketball court has been constructed using the 2023 drawings, that would suggest the basement at the luxury property is close to 2.5 metres deeper than what council approved.

A Rob Mills Architecture spokeswoman said: “RMA does not comment on client matters.”

Property records show Camilla Tartak – married to Daniel Tartak, who was hit with a criminal conviction and fined $100,000 last year after he pleaded guilty to price-fixing for waste management services – is the current owner of the property.

The estimated cost of the proposed renovation was $2.7m, off-the-back of a $7.2m purchase price in 2018 in one of Sydney’s most exclusive streets.

Render of 'Redmyre' property designed for a member of the Tartak family by Rob Mills Architecture.

Subsequent records show the property was sold in December for $9.4m, but CoreLogic data indicates only that one Tartak sold the property to another Tartak (first names were not provided).

According to public council records, it was Robyn Tartak who first put in plans to renovate the property, which sits on a 2417sq m block in 2019. Robyn is married to Mark Tartak, Daniel’s brother.

“It (the property) is within a typical low-density suburban area characterised by tree-lined streets, large and wide allotments, and dwelling houses of mansion-type and palatial scale and design,” the council documents said.

Approved plans uploaded to the council’s website indicate the Tartaks wanted to demolish the existing house on the site, and replace it with a two-storey dwelling with a basement, two outbuildings and a swimming pool.

There were also plans to relocate a tennis court and the front boundary fencing.

There is no suggestion Rob Mills Architecture and Interiors has engaged in any wrongdoing.

Rob Mills Architecture and Interiors also designed a luxury home in Sydney’s Bellevue Hill dubbed “Kambala” for Aussie Home Loans chief James Symond.

Construction is ongoing on the Kambala project, despite details about cost-overruns and delays aired in court documents lodged by ex-Rob Mills architect, Alice Zhou.

Ms Zhou has since settled the Fair Work dispute, but the Redmyre Road project was also dragged into the court fight, with Mr Mills accusing Ms Zhou of producing construction documents that were of poor quality.

A Macquarie-managed investment fund privatised Bingo for $2.3 billion in 2021. The company was founded by patriarch Tony Tartak as a family-owned skip bin operator and Daniel Tartak oversaw its ASX float in 2017. Bingo was fined $30 million for its role in price-fixing with competitor Aussie Skips.