Pete Evans Selling Off-Matrix Tribal Experience at Nightcap Village

Pete Evans is hooked

Celebrity chef Pete Evans is keen to put his hand up in a new video he's produced to market his off-matrix tribal experience. He says he's "Fkn IN!"

Commenting on "Paleo Pete's" recent induction into the tribal experience, radio host Ray Hadley on his Morning Show, Aug 31, describes the notable failure of the venture when, in 2015-17, it was called "Bhula Bhula Village Community": 

"A Federal Court Judge described efforts to establish the community as 'shambolic'".

Ray Hadley said those involved "failed to reach the heights of a careless enema". He warned:

"The last time they went down this road, (without this dolt being involved) someone lost $2.5 million. Make sure this time that it's not you!"

Pete Evans has signed a contract with Adrian Brennock, Mark McMurtrie and Derek Zillman to become a "Nightcap on Minjungbal Community Member". 

Mark McMurtrie, aka "Gunham Badi"

Mark McMurtrie, who calls himself "Gunham Badi," is co-director of Yidaki Pty Ltd, the company controlling the venture, together with Sydney finance broker Derek Zillman.

Yidaki shareholder Adrian Brennock first began soliciting funds for purchase of land in 2014, as co-founder of "Bhula Bhula Village Community". He has been inducted into the Mingungbal tribe, and describes himself as the "visionary" behind the off-matrix tribal experience.

Adrian Brennock the "visionary" founder

In the promotional video, Adrian Brennock clarifies the terms of community membership:

"As you become a shareholder and you buy in, you get all the structure that goes with the corporate governance and shareholder certificate, but you also get a treaty with the local tribe."

Yidaki co-director Derek Zillman says says the development is "under a rural landsharing scheme" and assures investors that "everything is ironclad".   

Derek Zillman, co-director Yidaki Pty Ltd

To be really transparent, Derek Zillman should have warned that the "ironclad" scheme is only a prospective dream, subject to approval by Tweed Shire Council, which is normally a process of several years in evaluation after a compliant development application is accepted.

Derek Zillman does not reveal that since 2014, vendors of the "ironclad" deal have never submitted a compliant development application. 

Nor does Zillman warn that under current zoning restrictions, community land-sharing is not a permissible use of the property.

In fact, it is only about three years since Tweed Council successfully litigated against Brennock's company, then controlling the venture, forcing all illegal dream homes built by "community members" to be removed from the property.

Adrian Brennock, evicted purchase money investors

In a series of name changes, Bhula Bhula Village Community became "Mt Warning Eco Village" then "Nightcap Village" which morphed into "Nightcap on Minjungbal".

The venture grows as the self-identified "visionaries" invite investors to join the Tribal Experience for a small $100,000 deposit, with vendor finance available to the less well heeled. 

Founding "visionary" Adrian Brennock describes how it all works: a shareholder agreement, "comes with all the ordinary titles and approvals, but it's more than that -  the best part is that you bought all of this land."

The visionary doesn't clarify that one reason the Council has not even begun assessment of a DA application is because the prospective developers don't actually own the 3,500 acres on offer. 

Zillman's explanation is a confusing communitarian sleight of hand -- he says that the "community" owns the landholding entities, which will be owned by his company. 

So who owns what? 

Nightcap Village Concept Plan for 867 dwellings

Derek Zillman details the ironclad offer:

"The entire community owns everything and we will have a primary coupling, which is the enterprise Yidaki Pty Ltd that will own all of those landholding entities - and they are the ones progressing the approval. And then people buy shares within that company."

Brennock states that the three properties they are marketing are "either owned or under contract or retained in various ways by the company."

In reality, the Yidaki company does not own any of the assets on offer, though evidently they hope to, if enough investors will buy the dream and continue to give them money.

None of the promotors mention the claims of rightful co-ownership by disenfranchised investors who, after providing purchase money for properties at 3220-3222 Kyogle Rd, Mt Burrell, were disenfranchised in 2016-2017 by Adrian Brennock.

Nor do they acknowledge that litigation is still ongoing after more than three years, with demands for vindication by earlier investors in this rural land-sharing dream.

Offering a "way out of the system," Nightcap on Minjungbal website insists:

"The developers must be successful in making this project a world leading example of alternative ways of living that are readily available.

This Project is the first of many such YIDAKI communities set for development and expansion around Australia and to be built on tribal lands in partnership with local tribes. 

By supporting this development and the developer’s vision, you are also helping to advance the alternative way of life for many others that share our tribal views and who want a way out of the system."

Richard Moate - "ticking all the boxes"

Community member Richard Moate was one of the early investors who provided purchase money in exchange for shared ownership of land. As an adopted aborigine with the Minjungbal Tribe he now works for Zillman's Yidaki company.

Through his own company, Nightcap Realty Pty Ltd, Richard Moate sells land-share treaties offering "tribal title" to 867 dwelling sites without development approval.

In the promotional video Richard Moate leads potential new investors to falsely conclude that his company is marketing interests in land on the basis of  compliant development approval:

"We tick off all the traditional boxes in the white-fella system; development applications and getting the right approvals, making sure everything is appropriate there."