Aussie Skips Recycling Pty Ltd v Strathfield Municipal Council [2020] NSWCA 292

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Aussie Skips Recycling Pty Ltd v Strathfield Municipal Council [2020] NSWCA 292 Hearing dates: 8 September 2020 Decision date: 18 November 2020 Before: Basten JA at [1]; Gleeson JA at [57]; Preston CJ of LEC at [58] Decision: (1) Dismiss the appeal from the judgment and orders in the Land and Environment Court of 20 March 2020. (2) Order that the appellants pay the respondent's costs in this Court. Catchwords: LAND LAW – easements – imposition of easement by Court – standard of appellate review – requirement that proposed easement be "reasonably necessary for the effective use or development" of the land – Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW), s 88K(1) LAND LAW – easements – validity – characterisation under general law – rights not to confer exclusive use of servient tenement – enclosure of community land for waste transfer and recycling facility – loss of owner's use of enclosed land and limited use of residue – whether proposed easement capable of being characterised as an easement LAND LAW – community land – inability of Council to grant easement over community land – whether Court can impose easement where owner cannot grant it – Local Government Act 1933 (NSW), s 46 and Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW), s 88K Legislation Cited: Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW), s 88K Local Government Act 1993 (NSW), s 46; Ch 6, Pt 2, Div 2 Cases Cited: City of Canterbury v Saad [2013] NSWCA 251 Community Association DP 270447 v ATB Morton Pty Ltd [2019] NSWCA 83; 19 BPR 39,277 Gordon v Lever (No 2) [2019] NSWCA 275; 19 BPR 39,915 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499; [1936] HCA 40 ING Bank (Australia) Ltd v O'Shea [2010] NSWCA 71 Klos Farming Estates Pty Ltd (Receivers and Managers appointed) v Easton [2001] NSWSC 525 London & Blenheim Estates Ltd v Ladbroke Retail Parks Ltd [1992] 1 WLR 1278 Marshall v Council of the City of Wollongong [2000] NSWSC 137; 107 LGERA 73 Re Ellenborough Park [1956] Ch 131 Stolyar v Towers [2018] NSWCA 6 The Owners of East Fremantle Shopping Centre West Strata Plan 8618 v Action Supermarkets Pty Ltd [2008] WASCA 180 The Owners of the Ship "Shin Kobe Maru" v Empire Shipping Company Inc (1994) 181 CLR 404; [1994] HCA 54 Texts Cited: M Leeming, Resolving Conflicts of Laws (The Federation Press, 2011) P Herzfeld and T Prince, Interpretation (Thomson Reuters, 2nd ed, 2020) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Aussie Skips Recycling Pty Ltd (First Appellant) Isas Pty Ltd (Second Appellant) Strathfield Municipal Council (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: N Hutley SC / C Ireland (Appellants) M Wright SC / D Robertson (Respondent)