"I informed the meeting that a well-known property company had told me that with DA approval, a rough estimate of its worth was about $12 million," Cr Campbell said. "Over the moon": Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mehajer. Credit:Ben Rushton Fairfax approached three specialist valuation companies in western Sydney to estimate the market value of similarly sized development land in Lidcombe generally. They provided a range of estimates between $13 million and $16 million. The council agreed to continue with the sale after having the land revalued when a previous plan to sell it for just $6.5 million was scuttled following public outcry. But it resisted calls to obtain multiple valuations for the site and to sell it on the open market.

According to Urbis Valuation, the estimated value of development land in Lidcombe with DA approval lies between $140,000 and $190,000 for each unit built on the site. Kohler Bird Appraisals quoted a standard range of between $150,000 and $200,000 per unit. A per-unit measure is more commonly used in the industry than price-per-square-metre. Cr Mehajer planned to build 96 apartments on the site, with added space for about eight commercial outlets. The sale is contingent on DA approval. The Herald did not ask valuers to estimate the worth of the John Street property specifically, but for development land in Lidcombe, within walking distance to the train station. The revelations come after Local Government Minister Paul Toole urged Cr Mehajer to stand down while allegations he committed electoral fraud are investigated. In an extraordinary move the council also agreed to swap the car park's buyer, from a company owned by Cr Mehajer to one run by his sister.

The motion was passed after a tied 4-4 vote, with Liberal colleague and Cr Mehajer's ally Ned Attie using his casting vote. Calls to Cr Attie, Cr Ronney Oueik and Cr Steve Yang were not returned. Labor councillor Hicham Zraika, said the councillors who voted against the deal were guilty of "hypocrisy" because they had "negotiat[ed] the terms of the sale". Cr Mehajer and Mayor Le Lam, who manages the strata for two of his recent developments, recused themselves. An "over the moon" Cr Mehajer told Fairfax Media after the meeting that he was "extremely grateful" the council had voted to draft a new contract. Cr Mehajer said the site would be purchased by A-Link Technology – a company owned and headed by his sister Zenah – because it owned neighbouring properties "and our ultimate aim would be to consolidate [the site] all as one". The Mehajer family's' nearby properties likely makes the land more valuable to them than other buyers.

For the deal to go ahead now it will require a new DA to be submitted to and win approval a Joint Regional Planning Panel, a state government panel that considers larger planning proposals. Though independent from council, two of its five members are Auburn councillors, including Crs Attie and Zraika. Cr Mehajer said he had agreed to pay the price set by an independent valuer.