J.K. Williams Staff Pty Limited v Sydney Water Corporation [2021] NSWLEC 23

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: J.K. Williams Staff Pty Limited v Sydney Water Corporation [2021] NSWLEC 23 Hearing dates: 16-19 February 2021 Date of orders: 18 March 2021 Decision date: 18 March 2021 Jurisdiction: Class 4 Before: Preston CJ Decision: The Court: (1) Declares that Sydney Water Corporation has breached s 75D(2) of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EPA Act), by carrying out the development of the Western Sydney Recycled Water Initiative – Replacement Flows Project (the Project) in breach of condition 1.1 of the approval granted by the Minister for Planning under s 75J of the EPA Act on 20 June 2007 for the carrying out of the Project. (2) Directs the parties to file and serve submissions on the orders that the parties contend the Court should make by way of prohibitory or mandatory injunctions, and any submissions the parties wish to make on the costs order the Court should make, in accordance with the following timetable: (a) The applicant to file and serve its submissions by 1 April 2021. (b) The respondent to file and serve its submissions by 15 April 2021. (c) The applicant to file and serve its submissions in reply by 22 April 2021. (3) Grants leave to each party to relist the matter in order to fix a date for hearing if a party wishes to have a hearing on the issues of the injunctive orders or the costs order the Court should make. Catchwords: CIVIL ENFORCEMENT – discharge of treated effluent from sewage treatment plant into creek – erosion of bank of creek – whether breach of planning or environmental laws – approval under Part 3A of Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 – approval condition that proponent comply with statement of commitments – commitment not to cause degradation of bed or bank stability of creek – effect of statement of commitments – commitment breached – whether erosion is pollution of land – no land pollution established – condition of operating licence for sewage treatment plant to meet objectives of Sydney Water Act 1994 – effect of principal objectives and special objectives – no breach of operating licence TORTS – duty of care in relation to support for land under s 177 of the Conveyancing Act 1919 – whether bank erosion removed support – breach of duty of care – defence under s 43A of Civil Liability Act 2002 not established – defence of statutory authority not established – nuisance action not maintainable Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 ss 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, 5E, 43A Conveyancing Act 1919 s 177 Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 Part 3A, Part 4, ss 75D, 75J, 4.17, 9.46 Interpretation Act 1987 s 32 Protection of the Environment Administration Act 1991 ss 6, 8 Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 ss 50, 55, 142, 142A, 142C Sydney Water Act 1994 ss 12, 21, 22 Water Management Act 2000 Cases Cited: 4nature Incorporated v Centennial Springvale Pty Ltd (2017) 95 NSWLR 361; [2017] NSWCA 191 ACR Trading Pty Ltd v Fat-Sel Pty Ltd (1987) 11 NSWLR 67 Allen v Gulf Oil Refining Ltd [1981] AC 1001 Anastasiou v Wallace [2020] NSWLEC 14 Auburn Council v Nehme (1999) 106 LGERA 19 [1999] NSWCA 383 Barr v Biffa Waste Services Pty Ltd [2013] QB 455; [2012] EWCA 312 Benning v Wong (1969) 122 CLR 249; [1969] HCA 58 Buck v Bavone (1976) 135 CLR 110; [1976] HCA 24 Burnie Port Authority v General Jones Pty Ltd (1994) 179 CLR 520; [1994] HCA 13 Coventry v Lawrence [2014] AC 822; [2014] UKSC 13 Curtis v Harden Shire Council (2014) 88 NSWLR 10; [2014] NSWCA 314 Elston v Dore (1982) 149 CLR 480 [1982] HCA 71 Environment Protection Authority v Du Pont (Australia) Ltd [2013] NSWLEC 98 Environment Protection Authority v Grafil Pty Ltd (2019) 238 LGERA 147; [2019] NSWCCA 174 Environment Protection Authority v Sydney Water Corporation [2015] NSWLEC 80 F Hannan Pty Ltd v Electricity Commission of New South Wales (No 3) (1985) 66 LGRA 306 Gales Holdings Pty Ltd v Tweed Shire Council (2013) 85 NSWLR 514; [2013] NSWCCA 382 Henville v Walker (2001) 206 CLR 459; [2001] HCA 52 Hicks v Ruddock (2007) 156 FCR 574; [2007] FCA 299 House of Peace v Bankstown City Council (2000) 48 NSWLR 498; [2000] NSWCA 44 Hunt & Hunt Lawyers (A firm) v Mitchell Morgan Nominees Pty Ltd (2013) 247 CLR 623; [2013] HCA 10 Hunter Industrial Rental Equipment Pty Ltd v Dungog Shire Council (2019) 101 NSWLR 1; [2019] NSWCA 147 Jeffman Pty Ltd and Lawrence Dry Cleaners Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority of NSW, Sydney Water Corporation and Douglas and Hilary Hutchinson [2011] NSWLEC 89 K&M Prodanovski Pty Ltd v Wollongong City Council (2013) 195 LGERA 23; [2013] NSWCA 202 Lake Macquarie City Council v Australian Native Landscapes Pty Ltd (No 2) [2015] NSWLEC 114 Lloyd v Robinson (1962) 107 CLR 142 at 154 [1962] HCA 36 March v E & MH Stramare Pty Ltd (1991) 171 CLR 506; [1991] HCA 12 Marcic v Thames Water Utilities Ltd [2002] QB 929 Melaleuca Estates Pty Ltd v Port Stephens Council (2006) 143 LGERA 319; [2006] NSWCA 31 Minister for Immigration and Citizenship v Li (2013) 249 CLR 332; [2013] HCA 18 Minister for Planning v Walker (2008) 161 LGERA 423; [2008] NSWCCA 224 Newcastle City Council v Shortland Management Services (2003) 57 NSWLR 173; [2003] NSWCA 156 Northern Residential Pty Ltd v Newcastle City Council (2009) 75 NSWLR 192; [2009] NSWCA 141 Oshlack v Irongates Pty Ltd (1997) 130 LGERA 189; [1997] NSWLEC 89 Patrick Stevedores Operations (No 2) Pty Ltd v Hennessy; FBIS International Protective Services (Aust) Pty Ltd [2015] NSWCA 253 Precision Products (NSW) Pty Ltd v Hawkesbury City Council (2008) 74 NSWLR 102; [2008] NSWCA 278 Quick v Alpine Nursery Sales Pty Ltd [2010] NSWSC 1248 R (on the application of Skelmersdale Limited Partnership v West Lancashire Borough Council [2016] EWCA Civ 1260 Randren House Pty Ltd v Water Administration Ministerial Corporation [2020] NSWCA 14 Rao v Canterbury City Council (2000) 112 LGERA 360; [2000] NSWCCA 471 Roads and Maritime Services v Grant [2015] NSWCA 138 Robson v Leischke (2008) 72 NSWLR 98; [2008] NSWLEC 152 Rowley v NSW Leather Trading Co Pty Ltd and Woollahra Municipal Council (1980) 49 LGRA 250 Rylands v Fletcher (1868) LR 3 HL 330 Southern Properties (WA) Pty Ltd v Executive Director, Department of Conservation and Land Management (2012) 42 WAR 287; [2012] WASCA 79 Strong v Woolworths Ltd (2012) 246 CLR 182; [2012] HCA 5 Telstra Corporation v Hornsby Shire Council (2006) 67 NSWLR 256; [2006] NSWLEC 133 Trump International Golf Club Scotland Ltd v Scottish Ministers at [2016] 1 WLR 85; [2015] UKSC 74 Tubbo Pty Ltd v Minister administering the Water Management Act 2000; Harvey v Minister administering the Water Management Act 2000 [2008] NSWCA 356 Vairy v Wyong Shire Council (2005) 223 CLR 422; [2005] HCA 62 Wallace v Kam (2013) 250 CLR 375; [2014] HCA 19 Warringah Shire Council v Sedevcic (1987) 10 NSWLR 335 Warth v Lafsky [2014] Aust Torts Rep 82-166; [2014] NSWCA 94 Weber v Greater Hume Shire Council (2019) 100 NSWLR 1; [2019] NSWCA 74 Western Australian Planning Commission v Temwood Holdings Pty Ltd (2004) 221 CLR 30; [2004] HCA 63 Wingecarribee Shire Council v De Angelis [2016] NSWCA 189 Winn v Director-General National Parks and Wildlife (2001) 130 LGERA 508; [2001] NSWCA 17 Wollondilly Shire Council v Foxman Environmental Development Services Pty Ltd (No 5) [2013] NSWLEC 68 Wyong Shire Council v Shirt (1980) 146 CLR 40; [1980] HCA 12 X (Minors) v Bedforshire County Council [1995] 2 AC 633 Texts Cited: John Austin, Austin: The Province of Jurisprudence Determined, ed Wilfrid Rumble (Cambridge University Press, 1995) Category: Principal judgment Parties: J.K. Williams Staff Pty Limited (Applicant) Sydney Water Corporation (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: Mr W G Muddle SC with Mr H El-Hage (Applicant) Mr S Donaldson SC with Mr S Glascott (Respondent)