United Firefighters' Union of Australia v Fire Rescue Victoria [2025] FCAFC 7

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA United Firefighters' Union of Australia v Fire Rescue Victoria [2025] FCAFC 7 File number:

Judgment of: KATZMANN, SNADEN AND SHARIFF JJ

Date of judgment: 5 February 2025

Catchwords: COSTS – application for leave to discontinue – where originating application sought constitutional writs in respect of decision of Fair Work Commission exercising arbitral powers under an enterprise agreement – where hearing of originating application vacated upon application for leave to discontinue – whether applicant should pay first respondent's costs – whether award of costs available in consequence of Federal Court Rules 2011 (Cth) r 26.12 – whether proceeding commenced vexatiously or without reasonable cause – whether costs incurred as a result of unreasonable act or omission – whether costs should be paid on indemnity basis.

Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) ss 186, 570, 590, 606, 739 Legislation: Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) s 43 Federal Court Rules 2011 (Cth) r 26.12 Fire Rescue Victoria Operational Employees Interim Enterprise Agreement 2020

Airservices Australia v Civil Air Operations Officers' Association of Australia (2022) FCR 36 Australian Competition & Consumer Commission v Colgate-Palmolive Pty Ltd (No 5) 151 ACSR 26 Australian Workers' Union v Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd (No 2) (2013) 232 FCR 428 Automotive, Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing & Kindred Industries Union v ALS Industrial Australia Pty Ltd (2015) 235 FCR 305 Baker v Patrick Projects Pty Ltd (No 2) (2014) 145 ALD 548 Chapman v Luminis Pty Ltd [2003] FCAFC 162 Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union v Australian Industrial Relations Commission (2001) 203 CLR 645 Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union v North Goonyella Coal Mines Pty Ltd [2013] FCA 1444 Council of Kangan Batman Institute of Technical & Further Education v Australian Industrial Relations Commission (2006) 156 FCR 275 Cases cited: Electric Light & Power Supply Corporation Ltd v Electricity Commission (NSW) (1956) 94 CLR 554 Endeavour Energy v Communications, Electrical, Electronic, Energy, Information, Postal, Plumbing & Allied Services Union of Australia (2016) 244 FCR 178 Hamod v New South Wales (2002) 188 ALR 659 Houssein v Under Secretary, Department of Industrial Relations & Technology (NSW) (1982) 148 CLR 88 Kanan v Australian Postal & Telecommunications Union (1992) 43 IR 257 Melbourne Stadiums Ltd v Sautner (2015) 229 FCR 221 Minister for Immigration & Citizenship v Li (2013) 249 CLR 332 Re Minister for Immigration & Ethnic Affairs; Ex parte Lai Qin (1997) 186 CLR 622 Ryan v Primesafe (2015) 323 ALR 107 United Firefighters' Union of Australia v Fire Rescue Victoria [2024] FWC 2619 United Firefighters' Union of Australia v Fire Rescue Victoria [2024] FWC 2839