Bandelle Pty Ltd v Sydney Capitol Hotels Pty Ltd [2020] NSWCA 303

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Bandelle Pty Ltd v Sydney Capitol Hotels Pty Ltd [2020] NSWCA 303 Hearing dates: 30 July 2020 Decision date: 25 November 2020 Before: Leeming JA at [1]; White JA at [46]; Emmett AJA at [86] Decision: 1. Grant leave to appeal. 2. Direct Bandelle to file a notice of appeal in accordance with the draft notice of appeal dated 19 March 2020, and otherwise dispense with the requirement of service. 3. Appeal allowed. 4. Set aside the orders made by the primary judge including the answer to the question, on 18 December 2019, and in lieu thereof, answer that question "Yes, s 6.20 afforded a defence to Capitol's claim", and dismiss the proceedings with costs. 5. Capitol to pay Bandelle's costs of the appeal. Catchwords: BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION – limitation period – limitation period for actions arising out of defective building work more than ten years after completion of work – limitation period originally contained in s 109ZK of Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 – section renumbered as s 6.20 – as originally enacted, s 109ZK applied only prospectively – defendant's building work done before enactment of s 109ZK – whether limitation period applied to building work done before section enacted – whether s 6.20 replaced s 109ZK – whether limitation period applied to loss of the kind alleged by the plaintiff. STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION – amending legislation – limitation section renumbered and reworded – transitional and savings regulations – regulations deferred commencement and qualified scope of limitation period – effect of repeal of regulation – further regulations including amended regulations preserving repealed sections and qualifying renumbered section – whether effect of legislation and amendment was a period of time during which limitation period did not apply – whether legislation displaced operation of Interpretation Act 1987 – observations on undesirability of regulations affecting operation of statute. Legislation Cited: Choice of Law (Limitation Periods) Act 1993 (NSW) Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW), Part 6, s 6.20, former Part 4A, s 109C, Part 4C, ss109ZI, 109ZK, Part 8, s 146A Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment Act 1997 (NSW), item 55 of Schedule 1 Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment Act 2017 (NSW), Schedules 6, 10 Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment Regulation 2018 (NSW), cl 18 Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000 (NSW), Part 9, Div 7A Environmental Planning and Assessment (Savings and Transitional) Regulation 1998 (NSW), cll 2, 34 Environmental Planning and Assessment (Savings, Transitional and Other Provisions) Regulation 2017 (NSW) Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW), ss 30, 34, 35 Limitation Act 1969 (NSW), s 14 Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2010 (NSW), item 5 of Schedule 1.26 Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (No 2) 2011 (NSW), cl 1 of Schedule 5 Subordinate Legislation Act 1989 (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 28.2 Cases Cited: Abdulla v Birmingham City Council [2012] UKSC 47; [2013] 1 All ER 649 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Maritime Union of Australia (2001) 114 FCR 472; [2001] FCA 1549 Australian Rail Track Corporation Ltd v Leightons Contractors Pty Ltd [2003] VSC 189 Bayside City Council v Telstra Corporation Ltd (2004) 216 CLR 595; [2004] HCA 19 Brisbane South Regional Health Authority v Taylor (1996) 186 CLR 541; [1996] HCA 25 Bryan v Maloney (1995) 182 CLR 609; [1995] HCA 17 Burswood Management Ltd v Attorney-General (Cth) (1990) 23 FCR 144; [1990] FCA 203 Collector of Customs v Pozzolanic Enterprises Pty Ltd (1993) 43 FCR 280; [1993] FCA 456 Dinov v Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd (2017) 96 NSWLR 98; [2017] NSWCA 270 John Pfeiffer Pty Ltd v Rogerson (2000) 203 CLR 503; [2000] HCA 36 Kelly v The Queen (2004) 218 CLR 216; [2004] HCA 12 Maxwell v Murphy (1957) 96 CLR 261; [1957] HCA 7 Moubarak by his tutor Coorey v Holt (2019) 100 NSWLR 218; [2019] NSWCA 102 O'Grady v Northern Queensland Co Ltd (1990) 169 CLR 356; [1990] HCA 16 Ombudsman v Laughton (2005) 64 NSWLR 114; [2005] NSWCA 339 Owners Corporation Strata Plan 76841 v Ceerose Pty Ltd [2017] NSWCA 140 Pretty v Solly (1859) 26 Beav 606; 53 ER 1032 Republic of Costa Rica v Erlanger (No 3) (1876) 3 Ch D 62 Sheldon v McBeath (1993) Aust Torts Rep 81-209 Suttor v Gundowda Pty Ltd (1950) 81 CLR 418; [1950] HCA 35 Sydney Capitol Hotels Pty Ltd v Bandelle Pty Ltd [2019] NSWSC 1825 Taylor v The Owners – Strata Plan No. 11564 (2014) 253 CLR 531; [2014] HCA 9 The Queen v Khazaal (2012) 246 CLR 601; [2012] HCA 26 Williams v Central Bank of Nigeria [2014] AC 1189; [2014] UKSC 10 Woolcock Street Investments Pty Ltd v CDG Pty Ltd (2004) 216 CLR 515; [2004] HCA 16 Workers' Compensation Board (Qld) v Technical Products Pty Ltd (1988) 165 CLR 642; [1988] HCA 49 Yrttiaho v The Public Curator of Queensland (1971) 125 CLR 228; [1971] HCA 29 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Bandelle Pty Ltd (Appellant) Sydney Capitol Hotels Pty Ltd (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: T Lynch SC with D Hand (Appellant) D S Weinberger with A R Jordan (Respondent)