Bigfoot's Mosman Project

Sydney Morning Herald

Monday May 5, 2008

Michael Evans

Michael Evans prefers a caravan in the hills to a mansion in the slums.

ROGER CORBETT has plenty to pass the time in his post-Woolies days. There's those top end of town boards, including the Reserve Bank, Wal-Mart in the US and even Fairfax Media, publisher of these raggedy lines.

However, it turns out Roger's also keen on a spot of property development.

We've stumbled across the plans of a company called Harnwood Pty Ltd to do a little work on a Mosman pile down near the wharf.

Who should be a director of Harnwood other than Roger Campbell Corbett? His fellow directors are two other chaps named Corbett, Andrew and Peter. We suspect there's something to the fact that the three Corbett lads were born six years apart. What's more, they're all Harnwood shareholders. Roger's stake is held via a family company called R&R Corbett, even though it doesn't sound like he's getting much R&R.

The Corbett lads want to spend $1.53 million to knock down a two-bedroom house Harnwood paid $1.69 million for last November and start again.

In its place they're planning a two-storey shack comprising two three-bedroom apartments.

Thing is, the plans that have just been lodged with Mosman Council admit a few breaches of planning guidelines: to wit, the plot is smaller than normally allowed for subdivision; the proposed building will be higher than allowed and it exceeds the council's floor-space ratio provisions.

Still, a former Woolies kahuna knows a thing or two about leaving a big footprint on the suburban landscape.

Subdivision is normally allowed in Mosman on land bigger than 700 square metres. This plot is 459 sq m.

The Corbetts' architect argued that knocking back the plans would be unreasonable.

Also, while buildings are only allowed to be 8.5 metres high in Mosman, this proposed one clocks in at 8.7 metres. The odd wall is too high and the plan is for three storeys, including the carport, exceeding the council's two-storey limit. What's more, council guidelines say the maximum floor area on the plot should be 275.5 sq m. The plan is for 331 sq m.

Perhaps it's just the old retailer in Roger coming out: pack 'em high, sell it cheap.

Then again, this is Mosman. We suspect the flats won't come too cheap.

Nice little policy

Michael Hawker won't be too disappointed at the prospect of QBE extending its takeover offer for his IAG later today.

After all, he's had a touch of good fortune of late. A parcel of 140,000 IAG shares that he bought in early March for an average of $3.62 are charging along just fine at $4.34, even despite last week's rather unfortunate profit warning.

It must have something to do with the takeover offer that lobbed a few weeks after he bought the stock.

Cambodian capers

There's no stopping the inflight entertainment for David Evans and Jeremy Snaith.

The former Jupiter Mines pair, who achieved notoriety for their inflight antics en route to Abu Dhabi last year, are based in Cambodia these days, working for the privately held junior rock kicker Indochine. Apparently they're managing to get the odd spot of work done between parties, to the point of hoping to float the business in Australia.

Although Indochine has an office in Phnom Penh and is chaired by Sydney's Robert Coghill, its general manager Chris Snaith (Jeremy's brother) works out of Sydney.

Our Phnom Penh pals tell us Chris Snaith seems to be on a first-name basis with the Cambodian Environment Minister, as he represented Indochine at a World Bank- and ministry-sponsored conference a few months ago with the mangled title "Dialogue On Growth Opportunity And Environmental Management In Mining Sector".

Beating the odds

Cat D'Antibes, the two-year-old neddy part-owned by James Packer, is doing a bit better than a few other part-owned Packer assets such as the Nine Network. After a first win at Doomben last month, the promising colt won Saturday's $100,000 Ken Russell Classic, run over 1200 metres, on the Gold Coast. He picked up $64,000 in prize money.

No gifts from Santa

There is absolutely no truth to suggestions Allco is organising a Christmas-in-July party because staff don't expect to make it to the real thing in December. In truth they don't expect to make it to July, either.

Still, catering would be easier, given the 600-strong staff is being trimmed a tad to 200.

It is also equally untrue that the theme will be disco, with founder David Coe trying to keep the troops positive by belting out a verse or two of Staying Alive a la John Travolta. But if he did ...

Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk,

I'm looking for cash, got no time to talk.

Life was good when debt was cheap

I'm being kicked around, I'm up the creek

And now it's all right, it's OK

And you may look the other way.

Whether you're in trouble

Or stuck in a debt bubble,

You're stayin' alive, stayin' alive.

Borrowed too much money

Going under in a hurry

But I'm stayin' alive, stayin' alive.

Ah, ha, ha, ha,

Stayin' alive.

Stayin' alive.

Ah, ha, ha, ha,

Stayin' alive.

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© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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