The 73-year-old former Labor powerbroker will spend months behind bars ahead of an appeal, after he was found guilty in July of lobbying a senior public servant about lucrative Circular Quay leases without revealing his family's stake in the outlets.
Justice Robert Beech-Jones has sentenced Obeid to a maximum of five years, saying it's likely any appeal will be heard sometime between March and May.
The judge said it was "overwhelmingly likely" that Obeid was aware of the substantial outlays his family had made in relation in buying two businesses at Circular Quay.
The jury had rejected the possibility Obeid was even partly motivated to speak to the public servant because of a general concern about the mistreatment of tenants, and those at Circular Quay.
Rather, the judge said, Obeid "was solely motivated " to gain a benefit for himself or at least his family.
Former NSW Labor minister Eddie Obeid arrives at the NSW Supreme Court in Darlinghurst (AAP) Source: AAP
Justice Beech-Jones referred to the importance of general deterrence in sentencing, noting the "onerous" duty imposed on public officials.
"The more senior the position, the greater the level of public trust."
Parliamentarians cannot use their position to try to help their family or associates in any form, the judge said.
He rejected the defence submission that Obeid's offending was at the bottom end of the scale of objective seriousness.
Obeid, who has nine living children and 33 grandchildren, has a "constellation" of medical issues and in August suffered a mild stroke.
The judge accepted that Obeid would receive superior medical treatment in the community, but said it would be adequate in jail.
As soon as the sentence was imposed, Obeid's new lawyer Guy Reynolds SC applied for bail pending the hearing of an appeal of his client's conviction.
Mr Reynolds also indicated Obeid would challenge the sentence.
He cited 12 factors, including Obeid's health, that would amount to special or exceptional circumstances to allow bail to be granted.
He also submitted 10 proposed grounds of appeal, including that the jury's verdict was unreasonable and could not be supported by the evidence.
