Another family is caught up in a Crown land fracas near a farm owned by Montgomery Liberal MLC Leonie Hiscutt, a prominent solicitor has revealed.
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On Thursday, Fairfax Media reported that Glynn Williams was representing Geoff Atkinson, a dairy farmer locked in a stalemate with Mrs Hiscutt and her husband Ben over access to Crown land adjoining multiple properties near Heybridge.
Now, Mr Williams says he is also acting on behalf of Stephen and Fiona Austin, who own a property in the area as well.
Fairfax Media understands there are more people in the area who feel aggrieved due to Crown land decisions.
“It’s like Game of Thrones up at my place,” one local said of the situation.
Mr Williams said the Austins were displeased with how Crown Land Services had handled their applications to obtain a license to access a reserved road outside their home.
“[They] … have … suffered from dissatisfaction with progress to their applications,” he said.
Mr Williams’ comments come after the Hiscutt-Atkinson dispute was explored in budget estimates this week.
It was revealed Mrs Hiscutt had been the subject of an Integrity Commission complaint as a result of her dispute with Mr Atkinson.
The complaint was dismissed.
The dispute arose after Mr Atkinson, a long-time member of the Liberal Party, had purchased farm land at Cuprona in 2014.
At this point in time, neither Mr Atkinson nor the Hiscutts had a license to access a reserved road adjoining their properties (a different reserved road than the one outside Mr and Mrs Austin’s residence).
Mrs Hiscutt wrote to CLS in 2015, appearing to seek legal advice and “urging” CLS to grant her and her husband “unfettered access to our most productive acreage”.
It was unsuccessfully alleged in the IC investigation that this email showed Mrs Hiscutt had used her position as a member of the government to gain preferential treatment.
Both Mr Atkinson and the Hiscutts have since obtained such licenses.
But Mr Williams wants the IC probe into Mrs Hiscutt reopened, or for a judicial review of certain Crown land decisions to be undertaken.
A government spokesperson stressed that CLS was responsible for access licenses over Crown land and reserved roads.
Mrs Hiscutt was contacted for comment.