Stephen James Orr v Narrabri Coal Operations Pty Ltd; Stephen James Orr v Narrabri Coal Pty Ltd [2021] NSWLEC 85

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Stephen James Orr v Narrabri Coal Operations Pty Ltd; Stephen James Orr v Narrabri Coal Pty Ltd [2021] NSWLEC 85 Hearing dates: 13 July 2021 Date of orders: 13 August 2021 Decision date: 13 August 2021 Jurisdiction: Class 5 Before: Pepper J Decision: See orders at [265]. Catchwords: ENVIRONMENTAL OFFENCES: corporate defendants plead guilty to offences against the Mining Act 1992 – imposition of appropriate sentence – applicable sentencing principles – whether offences committed negligently – degree of environmental harm caused by the commission of the offences – whether substantial harm to the environment caused by the commission of the offences – whether assistance provided to authorities – whether power exists to order the payment of the prosecutor's investigation costs – whether the ordering of a moiety appropriate – application of totality principle – comparable cases – publication order. Legislation Cited: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999, ss 3A, 21A(2), 21A(3), 22, 23 Criminal Procedure Act 1986, ss 257A, 257B, 257G Fines Act 1966, ss 6, 122 Mining Act 1992, ss 3A, 5, 23A, 240AA(1), 240AA(2), 378D, 378D(1), 378D(3), 378EA, 378H(1), 378ZC(1), 378ZE(1) Mining and Petroleum Legislation Amendment (Harmonisation) Act 2015, s 23A Cases Cited: Axer Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority (1993) 113 LGERA 357 Barbaro v The Queen; Zirilla v The Queen [2014] HCA 2; (2014) 253 CLR 58 Bentley v BGP Properties Pty Limited [2006] NSWLEC 34; (2006) 145 LGERA 234 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 Chief Executive, Office of Environment & Heritage v Orica Pty Ltd; Environment Protection Authority v Orica Pty Ltd [2015] NSWLEC 109 Chief Executive, Office of Environment and Heritage v Boyle [2019] NSWLEC 54 Chief Executive, Office of Environment and Heritage v Rummery [2012] NSWLEC 271; (2012) 192 LGERA 314 Director-General, Department of Environment and Climate Change v Hudson (No 2) [2015] NSWLEC 110 Director-General, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water v Linklater [2011] NSWLEC 30 Elias v The Queen [2013] HCA 31; (2013) 248 CLR 483 Environment Protection Authority v Abbas [2021] NSWLEC 57 Environment Protection Authority v Ardent Leisure Ltd [2018] NSWLEC 36 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 Causmag Ore Company Pty Ltd [2015] NSWLEC 58 Environment Protection Authority v Centennial Newstan Pty Ltd [2010] NSWLEC 211 Environment Protection Authority v Crown in the Right of New South Wales (Office of Environment and Heritage) [2019] NSWLEC 66 Environment Protection Authority v Dyno Nobel Asia Pacific Pty Ltd [2017] NSWLEC 64 Environment Protection Authority v GrainCorp Operations Limited [2019] NSWLEC 143 Environment Protection Authority v Hanna [2018] NSWLEC 80; (2018) 235 LGERA 114 Environment Protection Authority v Huntsman Corporation Australia Pty Ltd [2011] NSWLEC 39 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 P&M Quality Small Goods Pty Ltd; Environment Protection Authority v JBS Australia Pty Limited [2017] NSWLEC 89 Environment Protection Authority v Rands [2019] NSWLEC 23 Environment Protection Authority v Sydney Water Corporation [2019] NSWLEC 100 Environment Protection Authority v Sydney Water Corporation [2020] NSWLEC 153 Environment Protection Authority v Waste Recycling and Processing Corporation [2006] NSWLEC 419; (2006) 148 LGERA 299 Environment Protection Authority v Whitehaven Coal Mining Ltd [2019] NSWLEC 27; (2019) 239 LGERA 31 Environmental Protection Authority v Bartter Enterprises Pty Ltd (No 4) [2021] NSWLEC 45 Environmental Protection Authority v Ditchfield Contracting Pty Ltd [2018] NSWLEC 90 Gittany Constructions Pty Ltd v Sutherland Shire Council [2006] NSWLEC 242; (2006) 145 LGERA 189 Gordon Plath of the Department of Environment and Climate Change v Fish [2010] NSWLEC 144; (2010) 179 LGERA 386 Gore v The Queen [2010] NSWCCA 330; 208 A Crim R 353 Harris v Harrison [2014] NSWCCA 84; (2014) 86 NSWLR 422 Hili v R; Jones v R [2010] HCA 45; (2010) 242 CLR 520 Hoare v The Queen [1989] HCA 33; (1989) 167 CLR 348 Johnson v The Queen [2004] HCA 15; (2004) 78 ALJR 616 Liverpool City Council v Leppington Pastoral Co Pty [2010] NSWLEC 170 Markarian v The Queen [2005] HCA 25; (2005) 228 CLR 357 Mill v The Queen [1988] HCA 70; (1988) 166 CLR 59 Minister for Planning v Moolarben Coal Mines Pty Ltd [2010] NSWLEC 147; (2010) 175 LGERA 93 Mouawad v The Hills Shire Council [2013] NSWLEC 165; (2013) 199 LGERA 28 Muldrock v The Queen [2011] HCA 39; (2011) 244 CLR 120 Newcastle City Council v Pace Farm Egg Products Pty Ltd [2002] NSWLEC 66 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 Plath v Rawson [2009] NSWLEC 178; (2009) 170 LGERA 253 Plath v Vaccount Pty Ltd [2011] NSWLEC 202 R v Crombie [1999] NSWCCA 297 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 Ltd [2014] NSWLEC 154 Secretary, Department of Planning and Environment v Charbon Coal Pty Ltd [2016] NSWLEC 106 Secretary, Department of Planning and Environment v Leda Manorstead Pty Ltd (No 7) [2021] NSWLEC 26 Secretary, Department of Planning, Industry and Environment v Wollongong Recycling (NSW) Pty Ltd [2020] NSWLEC 125; (2020) 245 LGERA 241 Secretary, Department of Planning and Environment v AGL Energy Ltd; Secretary, Department of Planning and Environment v AGL Upstream Infrastructure Investments Pty Ltd [2017] NSWLEC 2 Veen v The Queen [1979] HCA 7; (1979) 143 CLR 458 Veen v The Queen (No 2) [1988] HCA 14; (1988) 164 CLR 465 Water NSW v Barlow [2019] NSWLEC 30; (2019) 244 LGERA 1 Category: Sentence Parties: Stephen James Orr (Prosecutor) Narrabri Coal Operations Pty Ltd (Defendant) Narrabri Coal Pty Ltd (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: P English (Prosecutor) T Howard SC (Defendant)