Coffs Harbour City Council v Polglase [2020] NSWCA 265

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Coffs Harbour City Council v Polglase [2020] NSWCA 265 Hearing dates: 17 September 2020 Decision date: 23 October 2020 Before: Basten JA at [1]; Macfarlan JA at [2]; Leeming JA at [3]. Decision: 1. Grant leave to the Council and the Trust to appeal against the orders for costs in the court below, if such leave be necessary. 2. Appeal dismissed. 3. Application for leave to cross-appeal dismissed. 4. The appellants (the Council and the Trust) to pay the respondents' costs of the appeal. 5. The cross-appellant (the plaintiff) to pay the cross-respondents' costs of the cross-appeal. Catchwords: NEGLIGENCE - public authorities - Council and Trust had care, control and management of jetty - young child fell through gap in jetty's railing and sustained serious injury - history of young children falling through railing to Council's knowledge - whether Council breached duty of care by failing to install additional railings or a mesh infill to prevent such falls - whether risk warning at jetty entrance meant no duty of care was owed - jetty built on Crown land and railing designed and constructed by State - State retained control of jetty for five years prior to handover to Council and Trust some nine years before plaintiff's injury - whether State also liable as joint tortfeasor - whether grandparents walking with young grandson breached a duty of care - consideration of relationship between State, Council and Trust - consideration of significance of ownership, occupation, and care control and management of land for purposes of duty of care and breach COSTS - plaintiff succeeded against Council and Trust but failed against State and grandparents - trial judge declined to make Bullock or Sanderson order in respect of State's and grandparents' costs - whether error in failing to find that Council caused plaintiff to join other parties - non-acceptance of Calderbank letter - whether trial judge erred in making partial indemnity costs order Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), Pt 1A, ss 5B, 5D, 5F, 5M, 42, 43A Coastal Waters (State Title) Act 1980 (Cth) Crown Land Management Act 2016 (NSW), Sch 7, cl 7 Crown Lands Act 1989 (NSW), Pt 5, ss 92, 93, 95, 100, 102, 103, 117 Crown Lands and Other Acts (Reserves) Amendment Act 1974 (NSW) Crown Lands Consolidation Act 1913 (NSW), Pt IIIB, ss 37R, 37X Heritage Act 1977 (NSW), s 57 Lands Act 1910 (Qld), ss 180, 181 Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1946 (NSW), s 5 Local Government Act 1906 (NSW) Local Government Act 1919 (NSW), s 537 Local Government (Consequential Provisions) Act 1993 (NSW), ss 3, 4 Local Government (Shires) Act 1905 (NSW), s 17 Public Works Act 1912 (NSW), s 153 Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973 (Cth) State Environmental Planning Policy (Repeal of Concurrence and Referral Provisions) 2008, Sch 2, cl 2.9 [10] Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 36.16 Cases Cited: Action Paintball Games Pty Ltd (in liq) v Barker [2013] NSWCA 128 AF Concrete Pumping Pty Ltd v Ryan [2014] NSWCA 346 Aiken v Kingborough Corporation (1939) 62 CLR 179; [1939] HCA 20 Australian Safeway Stores Pty Ltd v Zaluzna (1987) 162 CLR 479; [1987] HCA 7 Bankstown City Council v Zraika (2016) 94 NSWLR 159; [2016] NSWCA 51 Boensch v Pascoe [2019] HCA 49; 94 ALJR 112 Brodie v Singleton Shire Council (2001) 206 CLR 512; [2001] HCA 29 Burrum Corporation v Richardson; Burrum Corporation v Gehrmann (1939) 62 CLR 214; [1939] HCA 30 C G Maloney Pty Ltd v Noon [2011] NSWCA 397 Crimmins v Stevedoring Industry Finance Committee (1999) 200 CLR 1; [1999] HCA 59 Environment Protection Authority v Condon as liquidator for Orchard Holdings (NSW) Pty Ltd (in liq) (2014) 86 NSWLR 499; [2014] NSWCA 149 Fensom v Cootamundra Racecourse Reserve Trust [2000] NSWSC 1072 Forster Homes for the Aged Trust v Great Lakes Shire Council [1976] 1 NSWLR 577 Gould v Vaggelas (1985) 157 CLR 215; [1985] HCA 75 Hahn v Conley (1971) 126 CLR 276; [1971] HCA 56 Hoffmann v Boland [2013] NSWCA 158 Jones v Bartlett (2000) 205 CLR 166; [2000] HCA 56 Kempsey Shire Council v Van Park Ltd [1995] NSWCA 237 Laresu Pty Ltd v Clark [2010] NSWCA 180 MM Constructions (Aust) Pty Ltd v Port Stephens Council [2012] NSWCA 417; 191 LGERA 292 Mulligan v Coffs Harbour City Council [2003] NSWSC 49; (2003) Aust Torts Rep 81-696 Mulligan v Coffs Harbour City Council (2005) 223 CLR 486; [2005] HCA 63 Nagle v Rottnest Island Authority (1993) 177 CLR 423; [1993] HCA 76 Nikolich v Webb [2020] WASCA 169 Polglase by his tutor Jeffrey Polglase v Coffs Harbour City Council (No 2) [2019] NSWSC 1848 Polglase by his tutor Jeffrey Polglase v Coffs Harbour City Council (No 3) [2020] NSWSC 169 Randwick Municipal Council v Rutledge (1959) 102 CLR 54; [1959] HCA 63 Raptis (A) & Son v South Australia (1977) 138 CLR 346; [1977] HCA 36 Robertson v Swincer (1989) 52 SASR 356 Romeo v Conservation Commission of the Northern Territory (1998) 192 CLR 431; [1998] HCA 5 Schiller v Mulgrave Shire Council (1972) 129 CLR 116; [1972] HCA 60 Seas and Submerged Lands Case (1975) 135 CLR 337; [1975] HCA 58 Sharp v Parramatta City Council [2015] NSWCA 260; 209 LGERA 220 St Alder v Waverley Local Council [2010] NSWCA 22; 172 LGERA 147 St Mark's Orthodox Coptic College v Abraham [2007] NSWCA 185 Stamford Property Services Pty Ltd v Mulpha Australia Ltd (2019) 99 NSWLR 730; [2019] NSWCA 141 Tempe Recreation (D.500215 and D.1000502) Reserve Trust v Sydney Water Corporation (2014) 88 NSWLR 449; [2014] NSWCA 437 Townsend v Waverley Council [2001] NSWSC 384; 120 LGERA 224 Tweed Shire Council v Carley Eden Howarth (bht Trent Howarth) [2009] NSWCA 103 United States v Louisiana 394 US 11 (1969) Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (NSW) v Miller; Miller v Lithgow City Council (2015) 91 NSWLR 752; [2015] NSWCA 320 Vairy v Wyong Shire Council (2005) 223 CLR 422; [2005] HCA 62 Voli v Inglewood Shire Council (1963) 110 CLR 74; [1963] HCA 15 Weber v Greater Hume Shire Council (2019) 100 NSWLR 1; [2019] NSWCA 74 Wentworth Park Sporting Complex Trust v Leichhardt Council [2003] NSWCA 162; 125 LGERA 440 Wheeler v Somerfield [1966] 2 QB 94 Wyong Shire Council v Vairy; Mulligan v Coffs Harbour City Council [2004] NSWCA 247; (2003) Aust Torts Rep 81-754 Texts Cited: A Lang, Crown Land in New South Wales (Butterworths, 1973) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Coffs Harbour City Council (First Appellant) Coffs Jetty Foreshore Reserve Trust (Second Appellant) Tedmund Polglase by his tutor Jeffrey Polglase (First Respondent) State of New South Wales (Second Respondent) Betty Whitton (Third Respondent) David Whitton (Fourth Respondent) Representation: Counsel: R Sheldon SC, S Walsh (First and Second Appellants) R McIlwaine SC, R Quickenden (First Respondent) N Chen SC, H Chiu (Second Respondent) M Hutchings, G Keesing (Third and Fourth Respondents)