In the heart of Lake Macquarie lies the intriguing saga of the Buttaba Hills South Paper Subdivision, a plot of land entwined in a complex web of history and ownership.
Dating back to 1922, this subdivision comprises 120 lots under the ownership of nearly 100 individuals. Despite being earmarked for residential development, a crucial missing link obstructs progress – the absence of vital utility infrastructure like roads, water supply, and electricity on each plot.
Adding to the puzzle are the ‘paper roads,’ privately held tracks never formally designated as public thoroughfares. The ownership of these roads, along with Lot 756, is traced back to the estate of Frank Halloran, the original sub-divider. However, the task of identifying all legal successors to Mr. Halloran’s estate proves to be a laborious and intricate process.
Legal counsel and landowner groups are diligently working towards a resolution, aiming to petition the NSW Supreme Court for administration orders that would clarify the rightful owners of the elusive paper roads. Only then can negotiations commence between the landowners and the legal proprietors, paving the way for potential development on the dormant lots.
As the Buttaba Hills South Area Plan, formulated in 2016 with collaborative inputs, charts the course for future development in harmony with environmental considerations, the fate of the paper subdivision hangs in the balance, awaiting a definitive conclusion to the ownership conundrum.
Lake Macquarie stands witness to this unfolding narrative, where history, legality, and development intersect in the enigmatic landscape of the Buttaba Hills South Paper Subdivision.
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