Environment Protection Authority v Charlotte Pass Snow Resort Pty Ltd [2021] NSWCCA 289

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Environment Protection Authority v Charlotte Pass Snow Resort Pty Ltd [2021] NSWCCA 289 Hearing dates: 17 November 2021 Date of orders: 08 December 2021 Decision date: 08 December 2021 Before: Preston CJ of LEC at [1] Price J at [77]; Adamson J at [78] Decision: (1) Uphold the appeal. (2) Set aside order 1 of Pepper J dated 21 May 2021. (3) Dismiss the application for order 1 and 2(a) in the Notice of Motion filed by the respondent in the Land and Environment Court proceedings 2020/200270 on 27 November 2020. Catchwords: PROSECUTION – duplicity – whether summons bad for duplicity – multiple acts of water pollution – defendant charged compendiously with single offence of water pollution – exception to rule against duplicity – whether single criminal enterprise – multiple acts of water pollution involve single compendious instance of offending – guilty plea to single offence – application to withdraw guilty plea – question of duplicity decided before application to withdraw guilty plea – error in doing so Legislation Cited: Criminal Appeal Act 1912 Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 ss 120, 122 Cases Cited: Bentley v Gordon (2005) 139 LGERA 449; [2005] NSWCCA 157 Environment Protection Authority v Truegain Pty Ltd (2013) 85 NSWLR 125; [2013] NSWCCA 204 Kiangatha Holdings Pty Ltd v Water NSW (2020) 247 LGERA 1; [2020] NSWCCA 263 R v Beary (2004) 11 VR 151; [2004] VSCA 229 R v Eades (1991) 57 A Crim R 151 R v El-Kotab (2002) 4 VR 546; [2002] VSCA 109 R v F (1996) 90 A Crim R 356 R v Jones [2004] VSCA 68 Snowy Monaro Regional Council v Tropic Asphalts Pty Ltd (2018) 362 ALR 359; [2018] NSWCCA 202 Walsh v Tattersall (1996) 188 CLR 77; [1996] HCA 26. Category: Principal judgment Parties: Environment Protection Authority Charlotte Pass Snow Resort Pty Ltd Representation: Counsel: Mr M Tedeschi QC, Ms A Rose (Appellant) Mr T Brennan SC, Mr C Ireland (Respondent)