Steepe v The Commonwealth of Australia [2021] NSWSC 368

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Steepe v The Commonwealth of Australia [2021] NSWSC 368 Hearing dates: 22 March 2021 Date of orders: 15 April 2021 Decision date: 15 April 2021 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Davies J Decision: (1) Dismiss the plaintiff's notice of motion for default judgment filed 9 December 2020. (2) Dismiss the plaintiff's notice of motion filed 28 January 2021. (3) Order that the proceedings be dismissed pursuant to r 13.4 of the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW). (4) Order that the plaintiff pay the defendant's costs of the plaintiff's notice of motion filed 28 January 2021, the defendant's notice of motion filed 23 December 2020, and of the proceedings. Catchwords: CIVIL PROCEDURE - default judgment - default in filing defence - where defence filed after time limited by the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules but before notice of motion for default judgment filed - defendant not in default CIVIL PROCEDURE - summary disposal - where plaintiff seeks to strike out defendant's motion for summary dismissal of proceedings - where no basis in the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules or otherwise for plaintiff's application CIVIL PROCEDURE - summary disposal - dismissal of proceedings - no reasonable cause of action disclosed - plaintiff seeking to stop RAAF flights over her property - numerous causes of action asserted - whether plaintiff has a legal right and is entitled to an interlocutory injunction - where no legal right to prevent aircraft flying over plaintiff's property - where even if plaintiff had rights s 72 Civil Liability Act is a complete answer to trespass or nuisance actions - where no contract between plaintiff and RAAF - where facts not capable of demonstrating negligence - where no cause of action based on alleged breach of Biosecurity Act - where no arguable claim for breach of privacy - where harassment is no basis for a claim for damages - plaintiff demonstrates no right to prevent RAAF aircraft flying over land - no case for interlocutory injunction - proceedings dismissed pursuant to r 13.4 TORTS - trespass and nuisance - rights of landowner - maxim cuius est solum ejus est utque ad coelum - whether airspace owned to the heavens - whether aircraft flying over plaintiff's land constituted a trespass or nuisance CONTRACTS - formation - consideration - intention to create legal relations - where plaintiff landowner unilaterally required payment for alleged trespass on land - alleged acquiescence by trespasser - where alleged trespasser had statutory right to use airspace above plaintiff's land - where no consideration provided by plaintiff - whether contract came into existence Legislation Cited: Air Services Act 1995 (Cth) s 3 Air Navigation Act 1920 (Cth) Airspace Act 2007 (Cth) ss 8, 11 Airspace Regulations 2007 (Cth) cl 6 Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW) ss 6, 10, 25 Biosecurity Regulation 2017 (NSW) cl 44C Civil Aviation Act 1988 (Cth) Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) s 72 Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) s 3 Constitution Act 1902 (NSW) s 5 Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) s 31A Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth) s 78B The Constitution (Cth) ss 106, 107, 108 ,109 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) rr 6.1, 6.2, 12.11, 13.1, 13.4, 14.3, 14.28, 15.1, 15.5, 16.2 Cases Cited: Agar v Hyde (2000) 201 CLR 552; [2000] HCA 41 Australian Broadcasting Corporation v Lenah Game Meats Pty Limited (2001) 208 CLR 199; [2001] HCA 63 Australian Woollen Mills Pty Ltd v The Commonwealth (1954) 92 CLR 424 Bendal Pty Ltd v Mirvac Project Pty Ltd (1991) 23 NSWLR 464 Bernstein of Leigh (Baron) v Skyviews & General Ltd [1978] QB 479 Commissioner for Railways v Valuer-General [1974] AC 328 Commonwealth of Australia v The State of New South Wales (1923) 33 CLR 1 Discount and Finance Ltd v Gehrig's NSW Wines Ltd (1940) 40 SR (NSW) 598 Fancourt v Mercantile Credits Ltd (1983) 154 CLR 87 Gee v Burger [2009] NSWSC 149 General Steel Industries Inc v Commissioner for Railways (NSW) (1964) 112 CLR 125 Janney v Steller Works Pty Limited [2017] VSC 363 Kalaba v Commonwealth of Australia [2004] FCA 763 LJP Investments Pty Ltd v Howard Chia Investments Pty Ltd (1989) 24 NSWLR 490 New South Wales v The Commonwealth of Australia (2006) 229 CLR 1; [2006] HCA 52 Paul Ernest Simmons v Protective Commissioner of NSW also known as NSW Trustee and Guardian [2012] NSWSC 455 Placer Developments Limited v The Commonwealth of Australia (1969) 121 CLR 353 Plenty v Dillon (1991) 171 CLR 635; [1991] HCA 5 Ramsden v Dyson (1866) LR 1HL 129 Re Finlayson; Ex parte Finlayson (1997) 72 ALJR 73 Shaw v State of New South Wales [2012] NSWCA 102 Spencer v The Commonwealth (2010) 241 CLR 118; [2010] HCA 28 Texts Cited: Fleming's The Law of Torts, 9th Ed., 1998, LBC Information Services, Australia Meagher, Gummow and Lehane's Equity Doctrines and Remedies, 5th Ed., 2015, LexisNexis Butterworths, Australia Category: Procedural rulings Parties: Julie Steepe (Plaintiff) The Commonwealth of Australia (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: In person (Plaintiff) A Mitchelmore SC (Defendant) Solicitors: Self-represented (Plaintiff) Australian Government Solicitor (Defendant) File Number(s): 2020/294011 Publication restriction: Nil