Dirt to dollars: Rupinder Brar’s $18m land swoop

Two more multimillion-dollar land deals linked to a deregistered foreign-student kingpin who dined with Anthony Albanese at a suspected ALP fundraising event in Toorak have emerged.

Companies associated with Rupinder Brar splashed around $18m on large blocks in Craigieburn and Shepparton in Victoria.

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Two more multimillion-dollar land deals linked to a deregistered foreign-student kingpin who dined with Anthony Albanese at a suspected ALP fundraising event in Toorak have emerged.

Companies associated with Indian-Australian international college owner and property investor Rupinder Brar splashed about $18m while swooping on large blocks in Craigieburn and Shepparton in Victoria.

The Australian can reveal 20 Kinloch Pty Ltd signed a deal to buy a 12ha block at 20 Kinloch Court for $13m in the outer-northern suburb of Craigieburn in April 2022, according to property and company records. The deal was settled in August 2023.

Another Brar-linked company, Doyles 600 Pty Ltd, spent about $4.5m snapping up three blocks spanning about 13ha outside Shepparton, with the deals settled in 2024.

Indian community business figures have told The Australian the Brar-linked companies might flip the land to other buyers for large profits rather than develop the properties.

ASIC records show Mr Brar was a director and secretary of 20 Kinloch Pty Ltd between April 2022 and June 2023. Company records show 20 Kinloch’s current director, secretary and shareholder is Harmandeep Singh Virk, an associate of Mr Brar.

Responding to questions from The Australian on Wednesday, Mr Brar said the 20 Kinloch Court and Doyles Road properties were purchased “as part of our group’s normal activities”.

“The intention is to develop each, in the ordinary course,” Mr Brar said.

“I am a proud Australian citizen, with equally proud Indian heritage. If you wish to write about my group’s business activities that is a matter for you.”

Mr Brar and a small number of business associates and friends dined with the Prime Minister and former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews at a Toorak mansion on November 12.

Mr Brar, Mr Albanese and Mr Andrews have all dodged questions about whether the event was an ALP fundraiser to raise campaign cash ahead of this year’s federal election.

At the same time as Mr Brar was sitting next to Mr Albanese at the Toorak dinner, Barkly International College, which he owns, was locked in a legal battle with federal regulators who had deregistered the company over alleged “significant noncompliance”.

An Administrative Review Tribunal hearing was told by federal regulators last week that Barkly International College was more interested in “making money” than the welfare of overseas students.

Brar-linked 20 Kinloch Pty Ltd’s $13m Craigieburn land deal followed another Brar-linked company paying $11m to buy nearby 80 Kinloch Court in November 2021.

Four months after the 80 Kinloch Court deal, the Victorian government announced global tech giant Amazon was establishing a warehouse complex at a nearby industrial estate.

Six months after the Amazon announcement, the Brar-linked company sold the property for $33m in a deal that delivered a quick $22m profit.

Mr Brar has previously told The Australian the business had “no knowledge” Amazon was moving nearby when it bought the block.

Mr Brar, close business associate Sarabjot Dhillon and Harmandeep Virk are all listed as directors of Shepparton investment firm Doyles 600 Pty Ltd. Australian Securities & Investments Commission records show Mr Brar holds 45 shares in the firm, Mr Dhillon holds 35 shares and Mr Virk holds 20 shares.

The Brar-owned company snapped up three Shepparton rural properties at 580, 582 and 600 Doyles Road, a region on the city’s outskirts that has been slated for residential development for decades.

The Victorian Planning Authority is considering when Shepparton’s Doyles Road region will be given the greenlight for development. In a document presented to the VPA, planning firm Wilcon Projects says it is acting for Punvec Pty Ltd, which is a major property developer owned by Mr Brar and Mr Dhillon.

“Wilcon Projects acts on behalf of Punvec Pty Ltd, who have an _interest in properties at 580, 582 and 600 Doyles ...” the document states.

The Wilcon Projects document suggests that the Brar-owned company is keen to fast-track the development of the Doyles Road land.

“The draft PSP (Precinct Structure Plan) proposes staging of development and infrastructure within the precinct ... our clients land ... in the area noted as long term, 15+ years for development staging,” the document states.

“While it is acknowledged that development within the precinct should occur logically and sequentially where possible, we consider that the current staging plan ... (does) not offer sufficient flexibility and will unnecessarily restrict development within the overall precinct from occurring.

“We believe that development should not be restricted to definitive staging if it can be demonstrated that the required infrastructure can be provided to the lot either through adjoining development or bring forward costs by the developer.”

Anthony Albanese and Daniel Andrews are seen together at a function held in Toorak that was also attended by Rupinder Brar.

The Department of Transport and Planning said the Shepparton southeast precinct covering Doyles Road had been designated a priority planning project and identified for growth since 1996.

“Decisions are made based on the merits of an application – not the landowner,” a department spokesperson said.

“The land on Doyles Road is within the Shepparton South East Precinct which has been earmarked for more housing for decades.”

Developing the precinct will deliver almost 3000 homes for more than 7000 residents and create 270 jobs, the department believes.

The department is reviewing all submissions relating to the Shepparton development plans and referred them to an independent advisory committee.

It said the department and planning minister had received the committee’s report and would finalise the amendment for the minister’s consideration.