A Chinese property giant paid almost $70million for land on the new M9 orbital corridor three months before the route was publicly announced.
Country Garden forked out $69.88million to acquire six chunks of land belonging to 90-year-old Beryl Rofe and her family late last year.
The Hong Kong-listed company then made an application to the Greater Sydney Commission to build an M9 interchange on its 364hectare site.
A Chinese property giant has paid almost $70million for land on the new M9 orbital corridor, months before the route was announced (pictured are Matt and Aleena Wise, whose home is set to be demolished)
Country Garden forked out $69.88million to acquire six chunks of land belonging to 90-year-old Beryl Rofe and her family last year (pictured is land on the proposed road path)
The December 15 application was made over three months before the proposed M9 route was made public, The Daily Telegraph reported.
The 200metre-wide M9 Orbital Outer Sydney Orbital corridor will link growth areas in the south-west and north-west of the city with a motorway and freight rail line.
After the proposed road path was unveiled, hundreds of rural homeowners were suddenly told they would lose their properties.
The Wise family said they were informed by letterbox drop that their 32hectare dream home – bought in 2015 for $4.05million, would be demolished.
The 200metre-wide M9 Orbital Outer Sydney Orbital corridor is slated to link growth areas in the south-west and north-west of the city (pictured)
‘The current alignment of the M9 Orbital is anticipated to pass through the northeast corner of the site, with potential for an interchange at Remembrance Drive,’ Country Garden’s application stated (pictured is the proposed corridor at Cawdor)
‘We were gutted,’ said Mrs Wise.
‘I was at home and no one knocked on the door. You do a letterbox drop for a power outage, you don’t do a letter box drop for something so huge.’
Ms Rofe did not comment on the sale of her land at Cawdor, south-west of Sydney, and a tenant of hers, 92-year-old Judy Geelan was unaware of the purchase price.
Country Garden asked the Greater Sydney Commission in December to recognise their new site under the Regional and District Plan.
Country Garden asked the Greater Sydney Commission in December to recognise their new site under the Regional and District Plan (stock image)
The lobby effort is related to the plan’s provisions for high density housing built to satisfy demand created by population increases.
‘The current alignment of the M9 Orbital is anticipated to pass through the northeast corner of the site, with potential for an interchange at Remembrance Drive,’ Country Garden’s application stated.
Consultation on the M9 Outer Sydney Orbital corridor ended on June 1.
Daily Mail Australia contacted Country Garden for comment.
After the proposed road path was unveiled, hundreds of rural homeowners were suddenly told they would lose their properties (pictured is the Prime Minister, left, at a Transport NSW road upgrade event)