John Meredith

After nearly a decade of litigation — including a High Court appeal — a court has signed off on a $3.79 million settlement in a class action against Redland City Council over alleged unlawful levies.

The High Court has granted special leave to a Queensland council to challenge a ruling ordering it to repay owners of waterfront properties tens of thousands of dollars spent on an invalid canal maintenance levy.

A local government has been ordered to repay its residents the tens of thousands of dollars they spent on an invalid canal maintenance levy, in what was the first class action victory to be recorded in the Queensland Supreme Court.