L Bisinella Developments is “very pleased” after winning a multi-million-dollar payout from Geelong’s council over planning delays for an industrial estate at Lara.
Both the company and council declined to reveal the precise value of the settlement and costs awarded to Bisinella, citing their confidentiality agreement.
City Hall announced to the payout this week, nearly two years after the company lodged its lawsuit following nine years of planning delays.
“We are very pleased that this matter has come to an end,” said company development manager Richard Bisinella.
“These long running issues can now be put behind us and we look forward to a productive working relationship with council into the future.”
City Hall chief Martin Cutter said the settlement was “in no way an acknowledgement of error or wrongdoing by the City or staff involved”.
“The City and its employees acted appropriately and lawfully at all times. All staff involved in this matter have my full support,” Mr Cutter said.
The company first lodged an application to develop its 40-hectare site in 2008 but the first titles were delayed until November 2017.
The estate is part of the Geelong Region Employment Precinct (GREP), where City Hall has the largest landholdings for sale.
A year ago the Indy reported that City Hall had yet to make any money out of its GREP blocks seven years after first putting them on the market.
