City of Parramatta Council v Sydney Trees Excavation and Demolition Pty Ltd [2021] NSWLEC 71

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: City of Parramatta Council v Sydney Trees Excavation and Demolition Pty Ltd [2021] NSWLEC 71 Hearing dates: 28 June 2021 Date of orders: 07 July 2021 Decision date: 07 July 2021 Jurisdiction: Class 5 Before: Pepper J Decision: See orders at [158]. Catchwords: ENVIRONMENTAL OFFENCES: defendant convicted of three offences of breaching the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 – guilty pleas – sentencing principles – extent of environmental harm caused by the commission of the offences – state of mind of offender at the time of the commission of the offences – objective seriousness of the commission of the tree removal offences moderate – objective seriousness of the commission of the tree protection offence low – no prior convictions – remorse and contrition demonstrated – specific and general deterrence warranted – application of parity principle by analogy – comparable cases. Legislation Cited: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999, ss 3A, 21A(2), 21A(3) Criminal Procedure Act 1986, ss 257B, 257G Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, ss 1.3, 4.2(1), 4.53(1), 4.53(4), 9.50(3A), 9.51, 9.52(3), 9.53(1), 125(1) Fines Act 1966, s 6 Hornsby Local Environmental Plan 2013, cls 1.2(2), 5.10, Sch 5 Pt 2 Cases Cited: Axer Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority (1993) 113 LGERA 357 Bentley v BGP Properties Pty Limited [2006] NSWLEC 34; (2006) 145 LGERA 234 Browning v R [2015] NSWCCA 147 Cabonne Shire Council v Environment Protection Authority [2001] NSWCCA 280; (2001) 115 LGERA 304 Camilleri's Stock Feeds Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority (1993) 32 NSWLR 683 Chahoud v Penrith City Council [2020] NSWLEC 167 Chief Executive of the Office of Environment and Heritage, Department of Premier and Cabinet v Turnbull [2014] NSWLEC 150 Chief Executive, Office of Environment and Heritage v Orica Pty Ltd; Environment Protection Authority v Orica Pty Ltd [2015] NSWLEC 109 Chief Office of Environment and Heritage v Rummery [2012] NSWLEC 271; (2012) 192 LGERA 314 City of Parramatta Council v Grand Epping Pty Ltd [2021] NSWLEC 70 Director-General, Department of Environment and Climate Change v Hudson (No 2) [2015] NSWLEC 110 Environment Protection Authority v Baida Poultry Pty Ltd [2008] NSWLEC 280; (2008) 163 LGERA 71 Environment Protection Authority v Barnes [2006] NSWCCA 246 Environment Protection Authority v Crown in the Right of New South Wales (Office of Environment and Heritage) [2019] NSWLEC 66 Environment Protection Authority v GrainCorp Operations Limited [2019] NSWLEC 143 Environment Protection Authority v Orica Australia Pty Ltd (the Nitric Acid Air Lift Incident) [2014] NSWLEC 103; (2014) 206 LGERA 239 Environment Protection Authority v Rands [2019] NSWLEC 23 Environment Protection Authority v Sam Abbas (also known as Osama Abbas) [2021] NSWLEC 57 Environment Protection Authority v Sydney Water Corporation [2019] NSWLEC 100 Environment Protection Authority v Sydney Water Corporation [2021] NSWLEC 4 Environment Protection Authority v Waste Recycling and Processing Corp [2006] NSWLEC 419; (2006) 148 LGERA 299 Georges River Council v WK Strong Pty Limited; Georges River Council v Awada [2019] NSWLEC 97 Gittany Constructions Pty Ltd v Sutherland Shire Council [2006] NSWLEC 242; (2006) 145 LGERA 189 Gore v The Queen [2010] NSWCCA 330; 208 A Crim R 353 Green v The Queen [2011] HCA 49; (2011) 244 CLR 462 Harris v Harrison [2014] NSWCCA 84; (2014) 86 NSWLR 422 Henderson v R [2012] NSWCCA 65 Hunters Hill Council v Carter [2018] NSWLEC 84 Hunters Hill Council v Gary Johnston [2013] NSWLEC 89 Hunters Hill Council v Liu [2018] NSWLEC 108 Johnson v The Queen [2004] HCA 15; (2004) 78 ALJR 616 Jones v R [2010] HCA 45; (2010) 242 CLR 520 Ku-ring-gai Council v Edgar [2017] NSWLEC 49 Le v R [2019] NSWCCA 181 Liverpool City Council v Leppington Pastoral Co Pty [2010] NSWLEC 170 Mill v The Queen [1988] HCA 70; (1988) 166 CLR 59 Mosman Municipal Council v Menai Excavations Pty Ltd [2002] NSWLEC 132; (2002) 122 LGERA 89 Mouawad v The Hills Shire Council [2013] NSWLEC 165; (2013) 199 LGERA 28 Muldrock v The Queen [2011] HCA 39; (2011) 244 CLR 120 Pearce v The Queen [1998] HCA 57; (1998) 194 CLR 610 Pesic v Sutherland Shire Council [2019] NSWLEC 38 Pham v R [2015] HCA 39; (2015) 256 CLR 550 Pittwater v Scahill [2009] NSWLEC 12; (2009) 165 LGERA 289 Plath v Rawson [2009] NSWLEC 178; (2009) 170 LGERA 253 R v Crombie [1999] NSWCCA 297 R v De Simoni [1981] HCA 31; (1981) 147 CLR 383 R v Doan [2000] NSWCCA 317; 50 NSWLR 115 R v Dodd (1991) 57 A Crim R 349 R v Harris [2007] NSWCCA 130; (2007) 171 A Crim R 267 R v MAK; R v MSK [2006] NSWCCA 381; (2006) 167 A Crim R 159 R v Nichols (1991) 57 A Crim R 391 R v Olbrich [1999] HCA 54; (1999) 199 CLR 270 R v Oliver (1980) 7 A Crim R 174 R v Thomson; R v Houlton [2000] NSWCCA 309; (2000) 49 NSWLR 383 R v Visconti [1982] 2 NSWLR 104 R v Wheeler [2000] NSWCCA 34 R v Wickham [2004] NSWCCA 193 Secretary, Department of Planning and Environment v Boggabri Coal Pty Limited [2014] NSWLEC 154 Veen (No 2) and Hoare v The Queen [1989] HCA 33; (1989) 167 CLR 348 Veen v The Queen [1979] HCA 7; (1979) 143 CLR 458 Veen v The Queen (No 2) [1988] HCA 14; (1988) 164 CLR 465 Walden v Hensler [1987] HCA 54; (1987) 163 CLR 561 Water NSW v Barlow [2019] NSWLEC 30; (2019) 244 LGERA 1 Zirilla v The Queen [2014] HCA 2; (2014) 253 CLR 58 Category: Sentence Parties: City of Parramatta Council (Prosecutor) Sydney Trees Excavation and Demolition Pty Ltd (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Dr J Smith (Prosecutor) M Beaufils (Defendant)