Examiner 02 June 2016: Administrator finds new Chinese buyer for Birubi resort
Examiner 13 Jan 2016: Mayor to ‘shirtfront’ Chinese President Xi Jinping…….! Birubi Resort a ‘blight’ on Chinese relations
Examiner 04 August 2015: New Hong Kong buyer for Birubi Beach Resort
Examiner 15 October 2014: Birubi Beach Resort Tough To Value – Estate Agent
Examiner 27 August 2014: Birubi Beach Resort To Go Up For Sale
Beached In Birubi…..?
From This grand plan in 2011
To This in 2012
To this in 2014
TRRA Inc. has long been concerned about the fate of the Birubi Beach Resort at the entrance to Anna Bay, described by our Mayor as “looking like a bomb site in Beirut.”
Despite direct intervention from the Mayor 14 Jan 2014 nothing has changed.
TRRA Inc. inquired again this week:
Email To Council Planners 15 May 2014
From: Nigel Waters [mailto:planning@trra.com.au]
Sent: Thursday, 15 May 2014 9:11 AM
To: Mike McIntosh; Matthew Brown
Subject: Birubi Beach Resort
Mike, Matt
Members have requested that we ask about the status of the incomplete Birubi Beach Resort development on Gan Gan Road at Anna Bay. We are aware of media reports of financial and contractor difficulties, but the community is understandably concerned that the site is a major eyesore, and has also de-stabilised the sand on the site such that Gan Gan road adjacent to the site is regularly covered in wind blown sand.
Can you advise what if any knowledge you have of the owners/developers intention in relation to completion? And what if any compliance action can be taken in the meantime to improve the appearance of the site and address the issue of wind-blown sand. I understand that you may need to refer the compliance matters to other sections of Council, but would be grateful if you could keep us informed.
Thanks
Nigel Waters
Reply From Council Planners 16 May 2014
From: Mike McIntosh [mailto:Mike.McIntosh@portstephens.nsw.gov.au]
Sent: Friday, 16 May 2014 11:31 AM
To: planning@trra.com.au; Matthew Brown
Subject: RE: Birubi Beach Resort
Thanks Nigel,
The concerns of your members have also been shared by the wider community and indeed Councillors and staff. The Birubi Beach Resort site at Anna Bay has recently been appointed to receivers (March 2014) and managers who are now in control of the Company’s operations have taken possession of this site. Council is not privy to the civil details involved in this process and is currently unaware of the intentions in regards to finalising the development of the site. However, in accordance with Councils development approval Council would like to see the development constructed and operating as approved.
As you know it’s a difficult situation to drive any action when the owners of the premises have little ability to take action due to their alleged financial circumstances. To date we have regularly inspected the site and notified the representatives of the owner of non-compliance matters and directed the owners to take action where appropriate. Council officers will carry out another inspection to ascertain if anything can be done on site to address the issue of dune stabilisation. The issue of windblown sand in this location maybe a larger issue than the subject site due to the location of the beach access and the height of the sand dunes, however we will investigate.
The Mayor has also been involved and been in direct contact with those representing the owners of the site seeking information as to status of the current development, raising similar concerns to yours. However all has been to little avail.
Any future action of the Council needs to be weighed up against risk to the community, the Council (community) costs involved and the likelihood of an outcome. At this point in time, whilst we acknowledge the property presents as unsightly and there may be issues regarding sand movements from the site we have taken the view to continue to monitor the site from a community risk point of view until the owners are in a position to move on the development rather than waste further community resources on this matter.
Should you or your members believe there is a strong community risk resulting from the site, we would be interested to understand this further.
I trust the above information provides some clarity as to our position and efforts on this matter at this time and agree that it is a very frustrating situation which is largely beyond our control.
Regards
Mike
Mike McIntosh, Group Manager Development Services, Port Stephens Council
TRRA Inc. SAYS: Our recommendation to Council, as per the Pulse Development across the road, (Submission HERE ), that these sorts of developments should have as part of their approval, a condition that the developer makes a deposit, or a bond of enough funds to fill in the hole if necessary, or make it safe, visually acceptable, and ensure that it can be fenced properly if the project fails.
Look at the Church St. Hole in the ground, (Still there, about 10-12 years), the half finished building in Voyager close (there for 10 years), for examples of other eyesores that blight our community, they could still be there in 20 years, let’s make sure this does not happen again.
In essence, this has turned into a multi-million dollar legal dispute between the ominously named Chinese financier, CSST, China Security And Surveillance Technology, (exactly what were they building out there?) and the developer Quick Home Australia, supplier of the prefabricated building modules (manufactured in Guan Dong China). Quick Home Australia has gone into receivership and it’s Hong Kong Parent company is suing CSST. The long running dispute has burned many local contractors and does not look like getting settled any time soon.
This development was approved by Council using the controversial loophole available to build tourist facilities on Rural 1A zoned land and what is left after the vandals are finished removing bits and the sand-hills drift in might produce another Tin City………..
More links to Birubi Beach Resort
http://www.quick-home.com.au/index.php/projects/birubi-beach-resort
http://www.hannaford.com.au/birubi_beach/BIRUBI%20Info%20Memo.pdf
http://www.4sale4investors.com.au/residential/Biruba_Beach_Apartments
Examiner 06 Aug 2013 Dark-Skies-Over-Resort
Examiner 14 Jan 2014 Blight-Gets-Court-Date
Newcastle Herald 22 May: Birubi Beach Contractor ‘Unlikely’ To Get Money Owing
Try and get information from the principals of Miridian in Bolton St Newcastle. They are Bill Scott and John Byrnes who started Miridian. They are hiding under rocks. John Edmunds the solicitor at Nelson Bay was their solicitor.
Bill xxxxxx, John xxxxxx and John xxxxxxx are just plain old crooks. How many people were misled and cheated out of many thousands, if not millions of dollars on their Pacific Blue development? I know of at least 24……greedy self serving scumbags…..