Artist's impression of the proposed house. Picture DA

A development application for a $10 million home on a former bushland site at Barden Ridge, which was allegedly illegally cleared, is due to be determined this month.

Subscribe now for unlimited access.

or signup to continue reading

A Sutherland Shire Council assessment report is scathing of the proposal and recommends the DA be refused for numerous reasons.

The DA replicates a 2023 version, which lapsed after the council started investigating the land clearing.

Artist's impression of the proposed house. Picture DA

Plans include a six-car garage, "man cave" with bar, indoor half basketball court, two-lane bowling alley, theatre, library and swimming pool.

The estimated construction cost has skyrocketed in three years from $3.1 million to almost $10 million.

Sutherland Shire Local Planning Panel is due to consider the DA on June 16.

In August 2025, Sutherland Shire Council settled a two-year court battle against the owner of the 7.4 hectare site at 50-68 David Road over alleged illegal land clearing.

The development site. Picture DA. Picture DA

Under the agreement, the owner committed to replant more than 38,700 individual plants, including almost 600 native trees.

The owner was also to pay the council $70,000, plus $40,000 in court costs. The contractor, who carried out the work, was also to pay the council $55,000.

The council assessment report of the new DA said the development was "excessive in terms of its size, bulk and scale and monolithic built form...and is out of character with the bushland setting in which it is located".

"The development fails to adequately protect and conserve existing flora and fauna...and is overbearing on the site as it fails to limit development in the vicinity of the waterfront so that the locality's natural qualities can dominate."

The report said, over and above the unauthorised clearing, proposed works included a new driveway, which was more than 160 metres long, and the removal of an additional 23 trees and more vegetation.

A requested variation to the maximum building height failed to demonstrate why the the development standard was unnecessary and unreasonable, the report said.

The report also said the application was not supported by the Rural Fire Service and therefore could not be approved.

The DA acknowledged site works had already occurred, but retrospective approval was not being sought in this application "for any alleged unauthorised works".

"The site works include the removal of trees and excavation works that must be the subject of a separate application as approval cannot be granted for such works as part of this application," the DA said .

"However, as the proposed dwelling-house will rely on the works already undertaken, this statement aims to assess the proposed development as though the works have not occurred to illustrate its compliant nature.

"That is, it is envisaged that the application can be determined by Council with a part approval (for the proposed works) and part refusal (for the works already undertaken)."

A Vegetation Management Plan (VMP) from the original DA was resubmitted.

"It is important to note that the extent of clearing that has already taken place on the site is equivalent to the area that would have been required to establish an Asset Protection Zone for a dwelling house of the proposed size," the new DA said.

"In any event, the VMP seeks to re-establish trees, shrubs, grass covers and the like to areas already cleared on the site.

"The VMP details that within the areas to be cleared a total of 315 trees, 792 shrubs and thousands of grasses, herbs and scramblers will be planted using a variety of species detailed in Appendix 3 of the VMP.

The DA said the proposed dwelling "steps with the steep slope of the site and nestles comfortably into the topography of the land".

It would "have no unreasonable impact on the views, privacy or solar access of nearby residential properties and will not adversely impact the topography, micro-climate, air or water quality of the locality".

"The proposal will offer high levels of amenity for the occupants, with a design that is considered to be appropriate and consistent with the character of the locality," the DA said.