Environment Protection Authority v Grafil Pty Ltd; Environment Protection Authority v Mackenzie (No 4) [2021] NSWLEC 123

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Environment Protection Authority v Grafil Pty Ltd; Environment Protection Authority v Mackenzie (No 4) [2021] NSWLEC 123 Hearing dates: 2-6, 10 August 2021; 30, 31 August 2021 (written submissions) Date of orders: 05 November 2021 Decision date: 05 November 2021 Jurisdiction: Class 5 Before: Pain J Decision: See [360]-[361] Catchwords: CRIMINAL – sentencing of company for offence of operation of waste facility without approval – defendant company a consumer of recovered fines created pursuant to resource recovery exemptions made under Protection of the Environment Operations (Waste) Regulation 2005 – unable to rely on recovered fines exemption from requirement to have environment protection licence for waste facility due to failure to comply with conditions imposed on consumer – recovered fines contained asbestos of which it had no knowledge – no moral culpability arising from circumstances of offence – subjective circumstances considered – cap and contain order made CRIMINAL – sentencing of individual defendant for offence of operation of waste facility without approval – guilt by operation of special executive liability – no moral culpability arising from circumstances of the offence – substantial extenuating circumstances – application of s 10(1)(a) of Crimes Sentencing Procedure Act 1999 Legislation Cited: Batch Process Recovered Fines Exemption 2010 Contaminated Land Management Act 1997 (NSW) Continuous Process Recovered Fines Exemption 2010 Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) ss 3A, 10, 21A, 23 Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW) ss 257B, 257G, former 253, Ch 4 Pt 5 Div 4 Excavated Natural Material Exemption 2012 National Environment Protection (Assessment of Site Contamination Measure) 1999 (Cth) Sch B1 Protection of the Environment Operations (Waste) Regulation 2005 (NSW) cll 3B, 39, 42, 51, 51A Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (NSW) ss 3, 5, 48, 120, 142A, 143, 144, 169, 191, 216, 241, 245, 248, 250, 286, Sch 1, Dictionary, Pt 8.3, (former Pt 3A) Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Act 2001 (NSW) Cases Cited: Aslan v R [2014] NSWCCA 114 Axer Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority (1993) 113 LGERA 357 Bankstown City Council v Hanna (2014) 205 LGERA 39; [2014] NSWLEC 152 Bulga Underground Operations Pty Ltd v Nash (2016) 93 NSWLR 338; [2016] NSWCCA 37 Calderbank v Calderbank [1975] 3 All ER 333 Camilleri's Stock Feeds Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority (1993) 32 NSWLR 683 Chief Executive, Office of Environment and Heritage v Kyluk Pty Limited (No 4) (2014) 212 LGERA 1; [2014] NSWLEC 74 Chief Executive, Office of Environment and Heritage v Merriman [2018] NSWLEC 96 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v De La Rosa (2010) 79 NSLWR 1; [2010] NSWCCA 194 Director-General of the Department of Environment and Climate Change v Rae (2009) 168 LGERA 121; [2009] NSWLEC 137 Environment Protection Authority v Abbas [2021] NSWLEC 57 Environment Protection Authority v Ashmore [2014] NSWLEC 136 Environment Protection Authority v Barnes [2006] NSWCCA 246 Environment Protection Authority v Foxman Environmental Development Services (No 2) [2016] NSWLEC 120 Environment Protection Authority v Gilder [2018] NSWLEC 119 Environment Protection Authority v Grafil Pty Ltd; Environment Protection Authority v Mackenzie [2018] NSWLEC 99 Environment Protection Authority v Grafil Pty Ltd; Environment Protection Authority v Mackenzie (2019) 101 NSWLR 245; [2019] NSWCCA 174 Environment Protection Authority v Grafil Pty Ltd; Environment Protection Authority v Mackenzie (No 3) [2020] NSWLEC 90 Environment Protection Authority v Grafil Pty Ltd; Environment Protection Authority v Mackenzie (No 2) [2019] NSWCCA 202 Environment Protection Authority v Laison [2015] NSWLEC 89 Environment Protection Authority v Mouawad (No 2) [2020] NSWLEC 166 Environment Protection Authority v N (1992) 26 NSWLR 352 Environment Protection Authority v Rixa Quarries (No.2) Pty Ltd (No 2) [2017] NSWLEC 93 Environment Protection Authority v Robinson [2004] NSWLEC 629 Environment Protection Authority v Robinson [2011] NSWLEC 14 Environment Protection Authority v Waste Recycling and Processing Corporation (2006) 148 LGERA 299; [2006] NSWLEC 419 Garrett v Freeman (No 5) (2009) 164 LGERA 287; [2009] NSWLEC 1 Garrett v Williams (2006) 160 LGERA 115; [2006] NSWLEC 785 Hili v The Queen; Jones v The Queen (2010) 242 CLR 520; [2010] HCA 45 Hoare v The Queen (1989) 167 CLR 348; [1989] HCA 33 Hunter Quarriers Pty Ltd v Morrison (2017) 96 NSWLR 658; [2017] NSWCCA 326 Kenny v R [2010] NSWCCA 6 Latoudis v Casey (1990) 170 CLR 534; [1990] HCA 59 Lim Chin Aik v The Queen [1963] AC 160 Magaming v The Queen (2013) 252 CLR 381; [2013] HCA 40 Markarian v The Queen (2005) 228 CLR 357; [2005] HCA 25 Maxwell v The Queen (1996) 184 CLR 501; [1996] HCA 46 Milne v Attorney-General for the State of Tasmania (1956) 95 CLR 460; [1956] HCA 48 Morrison v Defence Maritime Services Pty Ltd (2007) 156 LGERA 365; [2007] NSWLEC 552 Moseley v Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council (No 2) [2017] NSWLEC 52 Muldrock v The Queen (2011) 244 CLR 120; [2011] HCA 39 Newcastle City Council v Pace Farm Egg Products Pty Limited (No 3) [2005] NSWLEC 423 R v Anderson [1981] VR 155 R v Donald [2013] NSWCCA 238 R v Olbrich (1999) 199 CLR 270; [1999] HCA 54 R v Paris [2001] NSWCCA 83 R v Peel [1971] 1 NSWLR 247 R v Taouk (1992) 65 A Crim R 387 R v Visconti [1982] 2 NSWLR 104 R v Wran [2016] NSWSC 1015 R v Wright (2013) 229 A Crim R 245; [2013] NSWCCA 82 Silvano v The Queen (2008) 184 A Crim R 593; [2008] NSWCCA 118 Thorneloe v Filipowksi (2001) 52 NSWLR 60; [2001] NSWCCA 213 Veen v The Queen (1979) 143 CLR 458; [1979] HCA 7 Veen v The Queen (No 2) (1988) 164 CLR 465; [1988] HCA 14 Walden v Hensler (1987) 163 CLR 561; [1987] HCA 54 Texts Cited: ANZECC September 1999, Guidelines for the Assessment of On-Site Containment of Contaminated Soil and the National Environment Protection (Assessment of Site Contamination) Measure 1999 ANZECC, Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Quality Water (August 2018) ANZG, Water Quality Guidelines - Accounting for Local Conditions (accessed 27 July 2021) Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality – Default Guidelines for Toxicants, default guideline values for arsenic, cadmium, chromium (CrIII), chromium (CrVI), copper, lead, mercury, nickel and zinc (accessed 27 July 2021) NSW Department of Environment and Conservation, Guidelines for the Assessment and Management of Groundwater Contamination (March 2007) NSW EPA Contaminated Land Management: Guidelines for the NSW Site Auditor Scheme (3rd ed, 2017) NSW Judicial Commission Sentencing Bench Book (as at 28 October 2021) Solid Waste Landfill Guidelines (2nd ed, 2016) Western Australian Department of Health, Guidelines for the Remediation and Management of Asbestos-Contaminated Sites in Western Australia (May 2009) Category: Sentence Parties: Proceedings 2016/157886 Environment Protection Authority (Prosecutor) Grafil Pty Ltd (Defendant)