25,000 HOMES LEFT IN LIMBO… WHILE THE LUXURY COMPOUND OF BATHLA’S BOSS CONTINUES TO RISE: The story of the former taxi driver who started in 1997 is now at the center of attention across Australia
A Sydney property developer whose company has left up to 25,000 homes in limbo after being placed into voluntary administration is building a luxury compound complete with an eight-car underground garage, tennis court and pool.
Bhart Bhushan, who co-owns the Bathla Group alongside his brother Rajinder Mohan, announced the property group would enter voluntary administration on Tuesday, citing a ‘perfect storm’ of softening sales, tax change impacts, and higher construction costs.
The business is believed to owe an estimated total of $3.6billion to private credit firms and other creditors.
Administrators from Teneo have been appointed to undertake an ‘immediate assessment’ of the company’s finances in an effort to stabilise operations. Urgent discussions are now taking place with lenders, and 500 jobs are now at risk.
Mr Bhushan founded the business in 1997 after originally starting out as a taxi driver.
Bathla develops budget-friendly housing estates, townhouses and apartments across Sydney, including growing suburbs Schofields, Marsden Park and Tallawong in the city’s north-west.
Just last week, the company was promoting the ‘advanced’ progress of one of its major construction projects—a 339-apartment development in Rouse Hill.
However, it is not just the property group’s financial troubles attracting attention, but also the family’s decision to build a sprawling mansion in Mount Vernon, in Sydney’s west.
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Bathla Group managing director Bhart Bhushan placed the business into voluntary administration on Tuesday
His family is in the midst of building a luxury compound in Western Sydney. (Pictured: a rendered image of the plans for the home)
The two-storey house will include an eight-car underground car park, an underground pool, tennis court, gym and pavilion. (Pictured: development plans submitted to council)
The five-hectare property near the new airport is owned by Mr Mohan, according to the property title.
The two-storey house, which will include an eight-car underground car park, underground pool, tennis court, gym and pavilion, is expected to be a home for the extended family.
It also features an olive tree grove, terraced landscaping, lookout garden, a ‘feature gum tree’, and a large ‘effluent disposal area’ near the main road entrance.
Construction work was still ongoing in July, according to the Australian Financial Review, who visited the site that month.
When building plans were first submitted to Penrith Council in 2021, it was estimated to cost $3.57million.
However, it is unlikely construction costs will remain unchanged, given rising costs—something Mr Bhushan referenced when announcing Bathla’s move into voluntary administration this week.
He reportedly has just $390,000 to his name, including $35,000 in cash, according to disclosures he made in 2025 while seeking funding from lenders.
While it is unclear if the family’s building plans will be put on hold, Mr Bhushan’s close friends defended him when contacted by the Daily Mail, suggesting the property veteran had been put under immense pressure by authorities.
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The five-hectare property is owned by Mr Bhushan’s brother Rajinder Mohan, who is also Bathla’s co-owner
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Bathla Group builds budget-friendly housing estates, townhouses and apartments across Sydney
‘I think the government has pushed people off a cliff,’ a longtime friend of Mr Bhushan said, referring to tax changes in Labor’s recent Budget.
‘I don’t know the real story…but it takes a lot of risk to get to the position their business did. It’s a sad story, I do feel for them, it isn’t an easy time.’
The friend also rejected any criticism of Mr Bhushan’s personal failings, saying they had seen him working 18-hour days to get the business in order.
‘They both come from very humble beginnings and they’ve built this business brick by brick. And so anyone in this situation would be devastated,’ they said.
‘The guys are very humble and hard working.’
It comes months after the construction watchdog started conducting dozens of inspections of Bathla sites.
The company has been dogged by accusations of poor quality.
The Building Commission NSW has already issued Bathla Group with fix-it orders over one of its projects in Seven Hills, with negotiations on other projects understood to have been ongoing for months.
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When building plans were first submitted to Penrith Council in 2021, it was estimated to cost $3.57million
The company has $15billion worth of affordable housing projects in its pipeline, according to its website.
While administrators have estimated up to 15,000 homes could be affected, Bathla’s website claims its broader development pipeline includes 22,000 apartment dwellings and a further 3,500 homes highlighting the enormous scale of the collapse and the potential impact on buyers, subcontractors and lenders.
Bathla Group joins a growing list of construction and development companies plunged into administration or liquidation in recent years amid rising costs and crippling labour shortages.
The company is also a major front-of-shirt sponsor for A-League club Western Sydney Wanderers.
SOURCE: DAILY MAIL
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