The son of a western suburbs farmer who was awarded almost $28 million for the acquisition of his land for a road reserve says the state government tied up his family in a years-long legal battle to deny them proper compensation.
Jeffrey Barrett of Manor Lakes was last week awarded $27.92 million compensation in the Supreme Court for the acquisition of part of his peri-urban property for the Outer Metropolitan Ring Road, a proposed 100-kilometre, estimated $31 billion orbital freeway through Melbourne’s west and north.
Landowner Jeffrey Barrett (far right), pictured with his son Brett Barrett (second from left) and family, has won $27.9 million in compensation from the state government. The Victorian Department of Transport and Planning initially made no offer for Barrett’s land, where he farms sheep and some cattle. The government then offered him “$0.00” for his financial loss after he took the government to court, denying that he was entitled to any compensation, before amending its offer to $18.65 million years later.
Barrett rejected the amended offer but scaled back his claim from $31.31 million to $28.27 million.
The court made its decision mostly in favour of Barrett, who is now in his 70s, on March 26, precisely six years after he applied t
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