The owner of Granties Maze has failed to demolish attractions at the park and has been found in contempt of court. Photo: Google Maps.
There is “no doubt whatsoever” that the owner of Granties Maze failed to comply with an order to demolish rides at his Foxground amusement park, a court has ruled.
The Land and Environment Court has found John Bruce Grant guilty of contempt for failing to comply with a previous court order from December 2024 to remove the structures, which were installed without Kiama Council’s permission.
At that December hearing Mr Grant was given 90 days to dismantle dozens of rides on the property.
However, despite three inspections by Kiama Council staff and repeated demands to demolish the structures, they were still in place in September 2025.
By December and still with no action taken, council asked the court to find Mr Grant guilty of contempt for his failure to comply with the 2024 order.
Council also called for Mr Grant to be fined and pay the council’s costs.
In a ruling delivered on Friday 29 May, Justice Rachel Pepper found Mr Grant guilty of contempt, but reserved costs until the appropriate punishment is determined at a hearing on 12 June.
Mr Grant first lodged development applications for a tourist attraction in 1985.
Since then he has had a long-running battle with council and closed Granties Maze for a number of years until 2005 when he was granted deferred consent for some of his applications and was able to reopen the facility.
However, zoning changes in 2011 meant operating a tourist facility on the site was prohibited.
In August 2016, Mr Grant sought consent to add 20 new attractions, as well as consent for the use of the 15 attractions he had already installed. The council refused the application in 2019.
During the latest Land and Environment Court hearing, council’s compliance coordinator Darren Hewitt offered photographs and a statement that during an inspection of Granties on 27 September 2025, Mr Grant was continuing to operate rides and attractions on the land.
Mr Grant told the court that several rides and attractions had been fenced off and were not in use.
“Grant was of the opinion that none of his actions were unlawful given that, in his words, ‘everything I’ve done I’ve asked council for permission,'” Justice Pepper said.
“On the basis of his admissions made in court, and the evidence of the council, there is no doubt whatsoever that Grant is guilty of contempt in that he has failed to comply with the dismantling order.
“The photographic evidence is particularly compelling.
“Many of the photographs showed the fencing surrounding some of the items that Grant referred to in his evidence and, in some instances, made it clear that the attractions were surrounded by overgrown shrubbery or were not in usable condition.
“The ‘Giant Slide’ is one such example. However, the existence of fencing and evidence of potential discontinued use is immaterial. The obligation on Grant was not only to cease using the identified attractions, it was to dismantle them. This has not occurred.
“Based on evidence before the court, and admissions made by Grant during the hearing, the council has proved beyond reasonable doubt that Grant has failed to comply with, and is in contempt of, the dismantling order.”
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