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As we reported two nights ago, the dispute over parcel 4670 in the Buttonwood Bay Area has reached an unexpected conclusion.  It seems to have been a dispute over nothing at all since the Ministry of Natural Resources has confirmed that they acquired the parcel - which is on the seabed - in 2007.  This was gazzetted in 2006 and 2007.   

But it seems the person who thought she was the owner, Primrose Gabourel and her son Dion Zabaneh never knew about that acquisition - and, 12 years later, they put tens of thousands of dollars of material into the sea to fill a property, which, it turns out, is not theirs.

The Ministry has since confirmed to 7News that there is a record to indicate that a notice of acquisition was sent to Primrose Gabourel.  But her attorney Emil Arguelles doesn’t buy it.  He says Government through the Department of the Environment recently accepted that she is still the owner when they took her to court in an offence committed on the parcel.  As we told you the DOE suddenly withdrew those charges earlier this week.  Arguelles has said the Minsitry must show proof that Primrose Gabourel received notice of the acquisition.  

The CEO in the Ministry of Natural Resources Kerry Belisle has told us they have to sit with Gabourel to discuss compensation.