Natural Resources Access Regulator v Tony Thompson [2022] NSWLEC 48

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Natural Resources Access Regulator v Tony Thompson [2022] NSWLEC 48 Hearing dates: 7 April 2022 Date of orders: 29 April 2022 Decision date: 29 April 2022 Jurisdiction: Class 5 Before: Pepper J Decision: See orders at [199]. Catchwords: ENVIRONMENTAL OFFENCES: taking of water otherwise than in accordance with a water access licence – taking of water without an operating water meter – Form 1 offence taken into account – plea of guilty – factors to take into account in determining sentence – whether environmental harm – actual harm to the regulatory scheme – whether offences committed for financial gain – whether offences committed recklessly – contrition and remorse demonstrated – totality principle applied – comparable cases – whether s 10A Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 order appropriate – monetary penalty imposed – publication order – costs ordered. Legislation Cited: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999, ss 3A, 10, 10A, 21A(2), 21A(3), 22, 23, 31, 32, 33, 35(1), Division 3 of Pt 3 Criminal Procedure Act 1986, ss 257B, 257G Fines Act 1996, ss 6, 122 Protection of the Environment Administration Act 1991, s 6(2) Water Management Act 2000, ss 3, 60A, 91G(2), 91I(1), 91I(2), 353G(1)(a), 354A(1), 363B, 364, 364A, 390 Cases Cited: Attorney-General's Application Under s 37 of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 No 1 of 2002 [2002] NSWCCA 518; (2002) 56 NSWLR 146 Axer Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority (1993) 113 LGERA 357 Bentley v BGP Properties Pty Ltd [2006] NSWLEC 34; (2006) 145 LGERA 234 Bourke v The Queen [2010] NSWCCA 22; (2010) 199 A Crim R 38 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 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 Rummery [2012] NSWLEC 271; (2012) 192 LGERA 314 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 Brummell [2019] NSWLEC 114; (2019) 242 LGERA 241 Chiro v The Queen [2017] HCA 37; (2017) 260 CLR 425 Croaker v R [2008] NSWCCA 232; (2008) 190 A Crim R 15 Dale v R [2021] NSWCCA 320 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v De La Rosa (2010) 79 NSWLR 1; [2010] NSWCCA 194 Director-General of the Department of Environment and Climate Change v Rae [2009] NSWLEC 137; (2009) 168 LGERA 121 Director-General, Department of Environment and Climate Change v Hudson (No 2) [2015] NSWLEC 110 Elias v The Queen [2013] HCA 31; (2013) 248 CLR 483 Environment Protection Authority v Ballina Shire Council [2006] NSWLEC 289; (2006) 148 LGERA 278 Environment Protection Authority v Barnes [2006] NSWCCA 246 Environment Protection Authority v Causmag Ore Company Pty Ltd [2015] NSWLEC 58 Environment Protection Authority v Ditchfield Contracting Pty Ltd [2018] NSWLEC 90 Environment Protection Authority v Dyno Nobel Asia Pacific Pty Ltd [2017] NSWLEC 64 Environment Protection Authority v Grafil [2021] NSWLEC 123 Environment Protection Authority v M A Roche Group Pty Ltd [2015] NSWLEC 29 Environment Protection Authority v P&M Quality Smallgoods 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 Sydney Water Corporation [2021] NSWLEC 4 Environment Protection Authority v Waste Recycling and Processing Corporation [2006] NSWLEC 419; (2006) 148 LGERA 299 Environment Protection Authority v Wollondilly Abattoirs Pty Ltd [2019] NSWLEC 72 Environmental Protection Authority v Bartter Enterprises Pty Ltd (No 4) [2021] NSWLEC 45 Gittany Constructions Pty Ltd v Sutherland Shire Council [2006] NSWLEC 242; (2006) 145 LGERA 189 Grant Barnes, Chief Regulatory Office, Natural Resources Access Regulator v O'Haire [2020] NSWLEC 158 Grant Barnes, Chief Regulatory Officer, Natural Resources Access Regulator v Budvalt Pty Ltd; Grant Barnes, Chief Regulatory Officer, Natural Resources Access Regulator v Harris [2020] NSWLEC 113 Harris v Harrison [2014] NSWCCA 84; (2014) 86 NSWLR 422 Harrison v Perdikaris [2015] NSWLEC 99 Hoare v The Queen [1989] HCA 33; (1989) 167 CLR 348 Johnson v The Queen [2004] HCA 15; (2004) 78 ALJR 616 Kabir v R [2020] NSWCCA 139 Liverpool City Council v Leppington Pastoral Co Pty Ltd [2010] NSWLEC 170 LS v R [2020] NSWCCA 27 Markarian v The Queen [2005] HCA 25; (2005) 228 CLR 357 Mill v The Queen [1988] HCA 70; (1988) 166 CLR 59 Muldrock v The Queen [2011] HCA 39; (2011) 244 CLR 120 Nguyen v The Queen [2016] HCA 17; (2016) 256 CLR 656 Pearce v The Queen [1998] HCA 57; (1998) 194 CLR 610 Plath v Rawson [2009] NSWLEC 178; (2009) 170 LGERA 253 R v Bavadra [2000] NSWCCA 292; (2000) 115 A Crim R 152 R v Crombie [1999] NSWCCA 297 R v De Simoni [1981] HCA 31; (1981) 147 CLR 383 R v Doan [2000] NSWCCA 317; (2000) 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 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 Ruge and Cormack v R [2015] NSWCCA 153 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 Woodward v R [2017] NSWCCA 44 Texts Cited: Sentence (5th ed), 2020, Longueville Media Pty Ltd Category: Sentence Parties: Natural Resources Access Regulator (Prosecutor) Tony Thompson (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: S Climo (Prosecutor) C Ireland (Defendant)