Jarrod McCracken was plying his trade as a rugby league professional when Peter Garrett was belting out tunes with his rock band Midnight Oil in the 1980s and 1990s.
Now the pair, in their respective roles as multi-millionaire property developer and Australian Federal Environment Minister, are engaged in
a battle over native trees in North Queensland.
Former Kiwis international Mr McCracken yesterday vowed to fight a Government order to replace hundreds of native trees cleared from his property, near Airlie Beach in the Whitsundays.
Mr McCracken, whose fortune is estimated at A$30 million ($34.25 million), was ordered to pay A$500,000 in security and to rehabilitate the trees he had cleared from parts of the 387ha property.
Mr Garrett imposed the remediation order under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, because the land was cleared without Commonwealth approval and the damage could affect the Great Barrier Reef.
Whitsunday Shire Council claimed 65 rare Whitsunday bottle trees and 144 other large native trees on the site were felled late last year without a permit.
Mr McCracken's wife Michelle purchased the property for A$5.5 million in December 2006.
McCracken wants to build a rural homestead, horse stud, esplanade and jetty on the property, and said he would defend his rights in court "if necessary".
"I still find it hard to believe that I need a special town planning approval from council to build a farmhouse, shelter for horses, clear an area for my daughter to ride her horse, construct access tracks, erect fences and clear firebreaks," he said.
Mr Garrett said he had requested that Mr McCracken provide a plan outlining restoration work on the former cattle property by Wednesday.
- NZPA
