Doyle’s Farm Produce Pty Ltd v Murray Darling Basin Authority (No 2) [2021] NSWCA 246

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Doyle's Farm Produce Pty Ltd v Murray Darling Basin Authority (No 2) [2021] NSWCA 246 Hearing dates: 17 September 2021 Decision date: 12 October 2021 Before: Bathurst CJ at [1]; Bell P at [2]; Leeming JA at [12]. Decision: In 2021/128140: Dismiss the summons seeking leave to appeal with costs. In 2021/251093: 1. Answer the questions reserved as follows: 1. Is the First Defendant a "public or other authority" within the meaning of s 41 of the Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW)? No. 2. Are the delegates of the First Defendant a "public or other authority" within the meaning of s 41 of the Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW)? No. 3. If the answer to either Question 1 or 2 is "yes", would the application of Part 5 of the Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) in this proceeding be inconsistent with s 64 of the Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth), for the purposes of (i) s 79 of the Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth); or (ii) s 109 of the Constitution (Cth)? Does not arise. 2. Order the defendants to pay the plaintiffs' costs of and occasioned by the separate questions. Catchwords: NEGLIGENCE – public authority – Murray Darling Basin Authority – Authority or its delegates alleged to have negligently released water causing damage to plaintiffs' lands – whether Authority or delegates a "public or other authority" within meaning of s 41 of Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) CONSTITUTIONAL LAW – relationship between constitutional and non-constitution issues – role of intervening Attorney-General submitting that constitutional issue does not arise PROCEDURE – defendant Authority pleaded defences from Part 5 of Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) on basis that it was a "public or other authority" – paragraphs struck out by primary judge – questions reserved on agreed facts and removed to Court of Appeal – consideration of appropriateness of determining such issue on final basis Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), ss 4, 5M, 5N, 6P, 18, 26L, Part 5, 66, 72 Civil Liability Act 2003 (Qld), s 36 Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), s 56, Part 10 Claims against Government Act 1866 (Qld) (29 Vic No 23) Claims against the Colonial Government Act 1876 (NSW) Claims against the Government and Crown Suits Act 1897 (NSW) Claims against the Government and Crown Suits Act 1912 (NSW) Commonwealth Constitution, ss 51(xxxvii), 75(iii), 78, 109 Crown Proceedings Act 1988 (NSW), s 5 Education Act 1990 (NSW), s 14 Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) Health Services Act 1997 (NSW), s 62, Sch 3 Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW), ss 12, 21, 65 Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth), ss 64, 78A, 78B, 79 Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (Cth) Public Service Act 1999 (Cth) National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 (NSW), ss 86, 87, 90 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), rr 1.21, 36.11 Water Act 2007 (Cth), ss 9A, 18B, 18E, 171, 172, 176, 199 Cases Cited: ACMA v Today FM (Sydney) Pty Ltd (2015) 255 CLR 352; [2015] HCA 7 AGU v Commonwealth of Australia (No 2) (2013) 86 NSWLR 348; [2013] NSWCA 473 Austral Pacific Group Limited v Airservices Australia (2000) 203 CLR 136; [2000] HCA 39 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Yazaki Corporation (2018) 262 FCR 243; [2018] FCAFC 73 Bass v Permanent Trustee Co Ltd (1999) 198 CLR 334; [1999] HCA 9 Bevan v Coolahan (2019) 101 NSWLR 86; [2019] NSWCA 217 BMW Australia Ltd v Brewster; Westpac Banking Corporation v Lenthall [2019] HCA 45; 94 ALJR 51 Botany Municipal Council v Federal Airports Corporation (1992) 175 CLR 453; [1992] HCA 52 Brodie v Singleton Shire Council (2001) 206 CLR 512; [2001] HCA 29 Commissioner of Australian Federal Police v Elzein (2017) 94 NSWLR 700; [2017] NSWCA 142 Corporate Affairs Commission v Bradley [1974] 1 NSWLR 391 Doyle's Farm Produce Pty Ltd as trustee for Claredale Family Trust v Murray Darling Basin Authority [2021] NSWSC 369 DRJ v Commissioner of Victims Rights (No 2) (2020) 103 NSWLR 692; [2020] NSWCA 242 Electro Optic Systems Pty Ltd v State of New South Wales; West v State of New South Wales [2014] ACTCA 45; 180 ACTR 1 Farnell v Bowman (1887) 12 AC 643 George v Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1952) 86 CLR 183; [1952] HCA 21 Hocking v The Southern Greyhound Racing Club Inc (1993) 61 SASR 213 Hunter Area Health Service & v Presland (2005) 63 NSWLR 22; [2005] NSWCA 33 Knight v Victoria (2017) 261 CLR 306; [2017] HCA 29 Lambert v Weichelt (1954) 28 ALJ 282 Lazarus v Independent Commission Against Corruption (2017) 94 NSWLR 36; [2017] NSWCA 37 Life Insurance Co of Australia Ltd v Phillips (1925) 36 CLR 60; [1925] HCA 18 Long Forest Estate Pty Ltd v Singh [2020] VSC 604 Macleod v Australian Securities and Investments Commission (2002) 211 CLR 287; [2002] HCA 37 Masson v Parsons (2019) 266 CLR 554; [2019] HCA 21 McKenna v Hunter & New England Local Health District [2013] NSWCA 476 Miller v Miller (2011) 242 CLR 446; [2011] HCA 9 Murray Darling Basin Authority v Doyle's Farm Produce Pty Ltd [2021] NSWCA 191 News Ltd v South Sydney District Rugby League Football Club Ltd (2003) 215 CLR 563; [2003] HCA 45 Northern Territory v GPAO (1999) 196 CLR 553; [1999] HCA 8 Pape v Commissioner of Taxation (2009) 238 CLR 1; [2009] HCA 23 Patsalis v State of New South Wales (2012) 81 NSWLR 743; [2012] NSWCA 307 Presland v Hunter Area Health Service [2003] NSWSC 754 Rizeq v Western Australia (2017) 262 CLR 1; [2017] HCA 23 Saraswati v The Queen (1991) 172 CLR 1; [1991] HCA 21 Seqwater v Rodriguez & Sons Pty Ltd [2021] NSWCA 206 Shergold v Tanner (2002) 209 CLR 126; [2002] HCA 19 Sydney Seaplanes Pty Ltd v Page [2021] NSWCA 204 Tepko Pty Ltd v Water Board (2001) 206 CLR 1; [2001] HCA 19 Todd Hadley Pty Ltd v Lake Maintenance (NSW) Pty Ltd [2019] NSWCA 262 United States Tobacco Co v Minister for Consumer Affairs (1988) 20 FCR 520 Wanganui-Rangitikei Electric Power Board (NZ) v Australian Mutual Provident Society (1934) 50 CLR 581; [1934] HCA 3 Western Australia v Commonwealth (1995) 183 CLR 373; [1995] HCA 47 Zhang v Commissioner of Police [2021] HCA 16 Texts Cited: M Aronson, "Government Liability in Negligence" (2008) 32(1) Melbourne University Law Review 44 P Finn, Law and Government in Colonial Australia (Oxford University Press, 1987) J Quick and R Garran, The Annotated Constitution of the Australian Commonwealth (1901) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Murray Darling Basin Authority (First Applicant/First Defendant) The Commonwealth of Australia (Second Applicant/Second Defendant) Doyle's Farm Produce Pty Ltd (ACN 119 734 539) as trustee for Claredale Family Trust (First Respondent/First Plaintiff) John Gerard Doyle (Second Respondent/Second Plaintiff) Coobool Downs Pastoral Co Pty Ltd (ACN 002 806 617) as trustee for the Dunn Family Trust (Third Respondent/Third Plaintiff) Rodney James Dunn (Fourth Respondent/Fourth Plaintiff) Valerie Jeanette Dunn (Fifth Respondent/Fifth Plaintiff) Attorney-General for the State of South Australia (Intervener) Representation: Counsel: N C Hutley SC; S H Hartford-Davis; M O Pulsford (Plaintiffs/Respondents) S M Nixon SC; T Prince (Defendants/Applicants) M J Wait SC; P D Stirling; K M Scott (Intervener)