Inner West Weekly article on Elias/Bechara

What’s the difference? Inner West Weekly 06Dec06:

A property developer has accused Canada Bay Council of discriminating against him by applying standards inconsistently.

Advanced Properties director John Elias said that when his company lodged a development application with the council it was knocked back without being voted on by councillors.

Staff working under delegated authority last year refused John Elias’s application to build a block of units at 20-28 Leicester Ave, Strathfield, until an investigation of the heritage significance of several of the properties had been completed.

A spokeswoman for the council said the application was refused because it exceeded the maximum height restriction and didn’t comply with the heritage objections set by the council.

Just metres away from Mr Elias’ properties, another developer was given permission to demolish several heritage-listed houses to build a 170-unit building.

Companies owned by Anton Bechara had their application heard and approved by councillors.

The council spokeswoman said there was no reason for Advanced Properties’ application to be heard by councillors.

“The proposed development was within delegation and was determined on that basis,” she said.

She also said that there was a difference in heritage significance between Mr Bechara’s properties and Mr Elias’s.

“Council wanted to assess the heritage potential of these properties (owned by Mr Elias) as it would address the discrepancy that exists with some houses being listed and others not, when all, it could be argued, contribute to the streetscape.

“The heritage aspects of (Mr Bechara’s) applications were assessed independently during the processing of those applications.”

The units Advanced Properties wanted to build would have sat metres away from two reserves the council controversially sold to companies run by Mr Bechara.

Mr Bechara was also given the all-clear from the council to have an application approved to build on a block of land he bought from the council this year.

Mr Elias said it was a great injustice for the council to treat developers differently.

“(Mr Bechara) wants to make a new road through Lord Park,” Mr Elias said.

“They play with the(Strathfield Triangle) DCP like it is a yo-yo.”