Badgerys Creek rezoning plan could net Medich's $400m - The Australian

Accused businessman Ron Medich could make millions of dollars from a rezoning plan at badgerys Creek. Main picture: Craig Greenhill Source: The Daily Telegraph

LAND at Badgerys Creek, from which the businessman accused of the murder of Michael McGurk, Ron Medich, and his developer brother Roy stand to make hundreds of millions of dollars is set to be rezoned by the state government in a move which could also endanger a second airport for Sydney.

Last week, the Planning Department published a "structure plan" for the 10,000ha "Broader Western Sydney Employment Areas land" between the M4 and M7, southwest to Badgerys Creek, which includes the Medich land, which was the subject of a parliamentary inquiry in 2009.

The document sets out a series of steps towards the "rezoning" of the land which would allow industrial development to occur next to the proposed airport site. In 2009, it was reported that the proposed rezoning from rural to industrial land on the site could make the Medichs $400 million for a $3.5 million outlay and was the subject of corruption allegations against the former Labor government.

Roy Medich confirmed last night he and his brother still owned land in the area and were hoping for a rezoning.

"We do (still own it), a property search would show that," Mr Medich said.

"I have left it to government ... as you know, I had to face that parliamentary inquiry. As I clearly stated, I have never ever had a meeting with a bureaucrat or minister outside their offices.

"What they are talking about is a structure plan. It's just the first stage.

" If you have followed all of this, you would find ... this was being considered in good faith by the government ... for more employment land."

Mr Medich said he could not say whether a rezoning might make him $400 million.

"We wouldn't have a clue because what you have got to take into consideration is what they allow you to do and what the infrastructure levies are."

Planning Department boss Sam Haddad was dragged into the imbroglio in 2009 when a tape recording was revealed in which Mr Medich alleged he "had pull" with Mr Haddad and had acted corruptly over the land.

ICAC later cleared Mr Haddad and Mr Medich saying: "The conversation raised serious concerns that Mr Medich had improperly obtained or sought to obtain favourable decisions from Mr Sam Haddad.

"The commission is satisfied that Mr Medich did say words to the effect that he had paid certain public officials for services they had rendered ... and that what Mr Medich said in this regard was, to his knowledge, false. It finds that Mr Medich told lies to gain an advantage in relation to their commercial disputes, never expecting that they would be made public."

The Department of Planning last night ruled out any housing in the development and, in keeping with Premier Barry O'Farrell's opposition to a second airport, there is almost no mention of the prospect of a second airport on the documents.

"We are underway with our investigations into an expanded employment area in western Sydney which could create tens of thousands of extra jobs," a Department of Planning spokesman said.