The Sydney Morning Herald can reveal that one of Labor minister Joe Tripodi's closest friends and a director of his private company has taken out an option on a block of land at Badgerys Creek earmarked for rezoning by the Government.

The 37-hectare rural block is only one paddock away from another block owned by the developer Ron Medich.

Before he was shot dead earlier this month, Mr McGurk told the Herald Mr Medich was paying the former federal minister Graham Richardson $25,000 a month to push his property interests, including Mr Medich's attempt to rezone his 344-hectare block formerly owned by the CSIRO at Badgerys Creek. The land was part of a larger parcel which included land owned by Sydney University and the Damjanovich family.

Mr McGurk told the Herald the Government was set to announce the rezoning of the land earlier this year but it was postponed ''because Ron blabbed'' about his political influence.

Mr Richardson told the Herald that he lobbied the head of the NSW Planning Department, Sam Haddad, last month over his refusal to rezone Mr Medich's land. If rezoned, the land Mr Medich bought a decade ago for $3.5 million would be worth about $400 million.

Several months ago Mr Tripodi's friend, the Fairfield jeweller Michael Daniele, took out an option for $5 million to buy the rural block owned by retired concreter Rinaldo ''Ron'' Morlin. The land, which is worth less than half that amount, is estimated to be worth $25 million if rezoned.

Mr Daniele, who was praised in Mr Tripodi's maiden speech to Parliament, is the sole director of Mr Tripodi's private company, New Arm Investments. Mr Tripodi has previously declared his stake in the company on his pecuniary interests register. Corporate records show that the minister resigned as a director in 2005.

Mr Morlin, 73, confirmed Mr Daniele had taken out an option a few months ago. When asked if the option was worth $5 million, he replied, ''Mamma mia, you know too much about it.''