Norcross Pictorial Calendars Pty Ltd v Central Coast Council [2020] NSWSC 1201

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Norcross Pictorial Calendars Pty Ltd v Central Coast Council [2020] NSWSC 1201 Hearing dates: 24, 25 and 27 August 2020 Date of orders: 4 September 2020 Decision date: 04 September 2020 Jurisdiction: Equity - Technology and Construction List Before: Stevenson J Decision: Plaintiffs entitled to damages; Council's claim for misleading or deceptive conduct to be dismissed Catchwords: CONTRACTS – joint venture to develop Council's land into car park and residential-commercial development CONTRACTS – parties – whether second plaintiff a successor to first plaintiff and able to sue under joint venture agreement CONTRACTS – where land contaminated with asbestos and other substances – whether council liable under indemnity – whether claim under indemnity out of time CONTRACTS – where council agreed to grant easement - where council granted easement and then rescinded motion granting easement – proper construction of easement provision – whether plaintiffs suffered loss CORPORATIONS – damages – reflective loss – whether shareholder can recover diminution of value of its shareholding that reflects loss of company CONSUMER LAW – misleading or deceptive conduct – whether first plaintiff's failure to provide Council with geotechnical report prior to entry into joint venture agreement was misleading or deceptive – whether warranties and indemnities in joint venture agreement should be declared void Legislation Cited: Local Government Act 1993 (NSW) Local Government (Council Amalgamations) Proclamation 2016 (NSW) Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) Cases Cited: CCP Australian Airships Ltd v Primus Telecommunications Pty Ltd [2004] VSCA 232 Chartbrook Ltd v Persimmons Homes Ltd [2009] AC 1101 Chen v Karandonis [2002] NSWCA 412 Demagogue Pty Ltd v Ramensky (1992) 39 FCR 31; [1992] FCA 851 Fabcot Pty Ltd v Port Macquarie-Hastings Council [2011] NSWCA 167 Fitzgerald v Masters (1956) 95 CLR 420; [1956] HCA 53 Gould v Vaggelas (1985) 157 CLR 215; [1985] HCA 75 Johnson v Gore Wood & Co [2002] 2 AC 1 Kowalczuk v Accom Pty Ltd (2008) 77 NSWLR 205; [2008] NSWCA 343 Olsson v Dyson (1969) 120 CLR 365; [1969] HCA 3 Penrith City Council v Government Insurance Office of NSW (1991) 24 NSWLR 564 Prudential Assurance Co Ltd v Newman Industries Ltd (No 2) [1882] 1 Ch 204 Rafferty v Madgwicks (2012) 203 FCR 1; [2012] FCAFC 37 Servilleja v Marex Financial Ltd [2020] UKSC 31 Seymour Whyte Constructions Pty Ltd v Ostwald Bros Pty Ltd [2019] 99 NSWLR 317; [2019] NSWCA 11 Software Integrators Pty Ltd v Roadrunner Couriers Pty Ltd (1997) 69 SASR 288 Trident General Insurance Co Ltd v McNiece Bros Pty Ltd (1988) 165 CLR 107; [1988] HCA 44 Texts Cited: K Lewison & D Hughes, The Interpretation of Contracts in Australia (2012, Lawbook Co) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Norcross Pictorial Calendars Pty Ltd (First Plaintiff) PTL Land Pty Ltd (Second Plaintiff) Central Coast Council (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: M Condon SC with N Bentley (Plaintiffs) R D Marshall SC with E A Walker (Defendant)