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Couple → read → Source
A wealthy businesswoman has emerged victorious after a bitter feud with her neighbours over a driveway that gave her the only access to her home in southern Sydney.
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that → emerge → Sydney
Catherine Coneliano and her husband Renato, the managing director of ASX-listed chemicals supplier Redox - one of Australia's largest chemical distribution companies - split their time between two luxury properties.
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Coneliano → list → properties
While they spend their weekends at a lavish $14million Whale Beach mansion, their main residence is a $3million home on Fowler Road in Illawong, which has no direct access via a public road.
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which → spend → road
As a result, they have to travel over part of a neighbouring property, belonging to Emmanuel and Olivera Garcia, using an access route called a right of carriageway.
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they → have → carriageway
The same legal right also allows utility services, such as water, electricity, sewerage and telecommunications, to also cross the neighbour's land.
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services → allow → land
Ms Coneliano brought a case against the Garcias in the NSW Land and Environment Court after she claimed they had built a wall and fence across the access route and repeatedly obstructed the only way to her home.
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they → bring → home
According to court documents, she alleged the Garcias built an unauthorised retaining wall that exceeded height restrictions, lacked engineering approvals and was constructed over electrical and water services.
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that → accord → services
In her claim, she said a metal fence erected on top of the wall further narrowed the route used by vehicles entering and leaving the property.
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fence → say → property
Catherine Coneliano (pictured right) is married to Renato Coneliano (left), the longtime managing director of Redox, one of Australia's largest chemical distribution companies
Ms
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Coneliano → picture → companies
Coneliano took the Garcias to court for blocking the access to her Fowler Road property in Illawong (pictured bottom)
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Coneliano → take → Illawong
Coneliano alleged the Garcias repeatedly blocked the access route with parked vehicles, left rubbish and other items on the easement, and questioned visitors about why they were attending her property.
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they → allege → property
Her lawyers told the court that when they visited the site in May 2025, the Garcias demanded they leave the right of way.
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they → tell → way
In a separate incident, a surveyor attending the property to prepare a report allegedly required police assistance after a dispute erupted at the site.
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dispute → attend → site
Justice Richard Beasley found in favour of Ms Coneliano.
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Beasley → find → Coneliano
He rejected the Garcias' claims they had not been given an opportunity to resolve the dispute, finding there was no evidence they had meaningfully engaged with concerns raised in three letters from Ms Coneliano's solicitors.
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they → reject → solicitors
The judge found those concerns were 'largely ignored' and concluded the alleged encroachments were not addressed until after court proceedings had begun.
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proceedings → find → ?
The contents of all three letters were effectively ignored by the (Garcias), who did nothing to remedy the encroachments... until such time as after (Ms Coneliano) commenced court proceedings,' he wrote.
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he → ignore → proceedings
Justice Beasley found Ms Coneliano had been left with little choice but to sue.
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Coneliano → find → choice
'(Ms Coneliano) was, in my view, forced to commence proceedings to achieve what she had sought to do...
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she → force → what
She was left with no reasonable alternative but to commence litigation.'
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She → leave → litigation
The Conelianos own this lavish $14million Whale Beach mansion (pictured) in Sydney
The judge later declared Ms Coneliano the 'clear winner', describing the outcome as an 'effective surrender' by the Garcias.
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Coneliano → own → Garcias
In his decision published on August 26, he ruled it would be 'unjust and unfair' not to order them to pay her legal costs.
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it → publish → costs
Ms Coneliano sought almost $148,000 in legal costs, though Justice Beasley ruled the final amount should be determined through the usual assessment process.
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amount → seek → process
Under consent orders reached before a final hearing, the Garcias must remove part of a retaining wall and metal fence found to be encroaching on the easement, and ensure the right of way remains unobstructed.
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right → reach → way
The Aporia
