Billionaire couple Paul, Zara Holmes a Court secure major win in fight to purge peppermint tree from $20.1m waterfront mansion

A billionaire Aussie couple have secured a major council win over a bizarre request to remove a single tree from the driveway of their sprawling $20m waterfront mansion property. Australian businessman and winemaker Paul Holmes a Court and his wife Zara bought the home in September, dropping the eye-watering amount on the four-bedroom, four-bathroom home in Perth’s south. Despite the price tag, the property, which is believed to be the seventh most expensive sale in the history of Perth, has an odd feature. The driveway to the mansion features a single peppermint tree, nestled right in front of the gate. The couple embarked on a battle to get the tree removed but met some backlash. The Shire of Peppermint Grove initially recommended refusing the request, on the grounds the tree was not dead or diseased and therefore did not meet the council’s own requirement for removal. But the council officer’s recommendation was not moved at the last council meeting. Instead, an alternative motion was unanimously passed allowing the tree to be removed – with the caveat the Holmes a Courts stump up a $2500 bond prior to any work on the driveway. The couple will also need to plant two replacement trees on the property. Ms Holmes a Court had pleaded her case for the removal of the single tree to councillors during their meeting on November 26. “I’m quite a reasonable and rational person, but a tree in the middle of the driveway makes it quite tricky to reverse out,” she told the council, according to reports from Post Newspapers. She further claimed the tree blocked the view of cars driving around the corner from the nearby Bay View Terrace. After the motion was passed, councillor Douglas Jackson called the arrangement a “good outcome”. “I think it meets both the owners’ wants, or expectation, but also matches the council’s needs at the same time by ensuring that there is tree cover on the verge of that property,” he said. The bizarre row even led to Western Australia’s Planning Minister John Carey weighing in on the issue before the decision. Speaking to The West Australian, he said he hoped the Shire of Peppermint Grove would take a “common sense” approach to the issue. “This is part of the challenge that we do have with local government,” Mr Carey said. “I’ve always been on the record that we need local governments to take a commonsense approach to issues. “And I understand people are passionate about trees, but ultimately, we do need local governments to assess the situation and find pragmatic outcomes.” At the time, Mr Carey said the state government was doing everything it could to boost Perth’s tree canopy – but left the decision to the council and the property owners. The $2500 bond the Holmes a Courts will need to pay is likely a drop in the ocean compared with the $20.1m they paid for the sprawling waterfront property earlier this year. It marked one of the most expensive sales in the city’s history Boasting a land size of 2793sq m, the iconic four-bed, four-bath mansion was built in the early 1900s and occupied by two of Perth’s “most passionate” community members, William and Olive Evans. “Designed in the rare Federation ‘arts and crafts’ style, the home has retained all its elegance and splendour via lofty ceilings, sweeping verandas, charming decorative arches, casement-style sash windows, and walls of French doors that bathe the home in light, reflecting river views beyond,” the listing from real estate agency Caporn Young states. The luxury property also boasts a six-car underground garage with included wine cellar and rain shower bathroom. The Holmes a Courts’ new purchase follows the couple selling their previous Peppermint Grove home for $14.5m, and a year before selling their neighbouring block for $9.275m. Mr Holmes a Court is the son of Robert Holmes a Court – considered Australia’s first billionaire. His brothers are climate and political activist Simon Holmes a Court and Peter Holmes a Court. Peter jointly owned the South Sydney Rabbitohs with actor Russell Crowe from 2006 to 2014. Paul Holmes a Court is the owner and chief executive of Margaret River wine estate Vasse Felix, taking over general management in 2005 before becoming the sole owner of Vasse Felix and its parent company The Heytesbury Group in 2008. He also owns the Heytesbury Cattle Company, one of Australia’s largest cattle companies.