Environment Protection Authority v Eastern Creek Operations Pty Limited [2022] NSWCCA 97

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Environment Protection Authority v Eastern Creek Operations Pty Limited [2022] NSWCCA 97 Hearing dates: 6 October 2021 Date of orders: 13 May 2022 Decision date: 13 May 2022 Before: Macfarlan JA at [1]; Fullerton J at [81]; Lonergan J at [219]. Decision: In the s 5F proceedings: (1) The application for leave to appeal is dismissed. In the case stated proceedings: (1) Answer the stated case question in the affirmative. Catchwords: CRIMINAL PROCEDURE — prosecution for non-compliance with statutory notice — ruling that notice invalid — classification of ruling as interlocutory or final — whether leave to appeal could be granted under s 5F Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW) ENVIRONMENT — validity of notice purportedly issued under s 191 Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (NSW) requiring addressee to furnish information — whether the notice sufficiently identified the material required to be produced and whether it showed that the addressor was entitled to require that production COURTS AND JUDGES — jurisdiction — whether a judge presiding over a preliminary hearing convened in accordance with the case management provisions in the Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW) has the power to summarily dismiss a summary prosecution prior to final hearing Legislation Cited: Crimes (Appeal and Review) Act 2001 (NSW), s 107 Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW), ss 5AE, 5C, 5F Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW), ss 139(5), 202, 247A, 247B, 247C, 247G, 247W, 249-252 Criminal Procedure Amendment (Summary Proceedings Case Management) Act 2012 (NSW) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), ss 13, 18, 138 Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 (Cth), s 264 Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW), ss 13A, 35 Land and Environment Court Act 1979 (NSW), ss 22, 23 Land and Environment Court Rules 2007 (NSW), r 5 Protection of the Environment Administration Act 1991 (NSW), ss 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 29, 30 Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (NSW), ss 3, 48, 184, 191, 193, 194, 195, 211, Sch 1 Protection of the Environment Operations (Waste) Regulation 2014 (NSW), cll 91 to 96 Supreme Court Rules 1970 (NSW), r 11B Supreme Court (Summary Jurisdiction) Act 1967 (NSW) Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth), s 155 Cases Cited: A2 v R; KM v R; Vaziri v R [2015] NSWCCA 244 Attorney General of NSW v Built NSW Pty Ltd [2013] NSWCCA 299 Attorney-General (NSW) v Lipton (2012) 224 A Crim R 177; [2012] NSWCCA 156 D'Anastasi v Environment, Climate Change & Water (NSW) (2011) 81 NSWLR 82; [2011] NSWCA 374 DAO v R (2011) 81 NSWLR 568; [2011] NSWCCA 63 Doja v R (2009) 198 A Crim R 349; [2009] NSWCCA 303 DPP (NSW) v Ridley [2015] NSWSC 1478 DPP v Elskaf [2012] NSWSC 21 Environmental Protection Authority v Eastern Creek Operations Pty Limited [2020] NSWLEC 182 Environmental Protection Authority v Eastern Creek Operations Pty Limited (No 2) [2021] NSWLEC 39 Federal Commissioner of Taxation v Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (1979) 143 CLR 499; [1979] HCA 67 Hardie Holdings Pty Ltd v Director-General of the Department of Natural Resources (2007) 151 LGERA 373; [2007] NSWLEC 39 Island Maritime Ltd v Filipowski (2006) 226 CLR 328; [2006] HCA 30 John L Pty Ltd v Attorney-General (NSW) (1987) 163 CLR 508; [1987] HCA 42 Lethlean v R (1995) 83 A Crim R 197 Lismore City Council v Ihalainen (2013) 198 LGERA 47; [2013] NSWLEC 149 Liverpool City Council v Cauchi (2005) 145 LGERA 1; [2005] NSWLEC 675 Melbourne Home of Ford Pty Ltd v Trade Practices Commission (No 3) (1980) 47 FLR 163; [1980] FCA 94 Munday v Gill (1930) 44 CLR 38; [1930] HCA 20 Nicholson v R [2017] NSWCCA 38 Orr v Cobar Management Pty Ltd (2020) 103 NSWLR 36; [2020] NSWCCA 220 Owners of Shin Kobe Maru v Empire Shipping Company Inc (1994) 181 CLR 421; [1994] HCA 54 Plaintiff S157/2002 v Commonwealth (2003) 211 CLR 476; [2003] HCA 2 Project Blue Sky Inc v Australian Broadcasting Authority (1998) 194 CLR 355; [1998] HCA 28 Pyneboard Pty Ltd v Trade Practices Commission (1982) 57 FLR 368 R v Bozatsis (1997) 97 A Crim R 296 R v Cheng (1999) 48 NSWLR 616; [1999] NSWCCA 373 R v Dabhade [1992] All ER 769 R v F (2002) 129 A Crim R 126; [2002] NSWCCA 125 R v Gray; Ex parte Marsh (1985) 157 CLR 351; [1985] HCA 67 R v Janceski (2005) 64 NSWLR 10; [2005] NSWCCA 281 R v Kanaan [2003] NSWCCA 396 R v Metal Trades Employees' Association; Ex parte Amalgamated Engineering Union (1951) 82 CLR 208; [1951] HCA 3 R v RAG [2006] NSWCCA 343 R v Steffan (1993) 30 NSWLR 633 SA Brewing Holdings Ltd v Baxt (1989) 23 FCR 357 SC v R (2020) 104 NSWLR 257; [2020] NSWCCA 314 Tran v R [2017] NSWCCA 93 Turnbull v R [2016] NSWCCA 109 Tweed Shire Council v Furlonger (2014) 206 LGERA 1; [2014] NSWLEC 156 Victoria v Australian Building Construction Employees' and Builders Labourers' Federation (1982) 152 CLR 179; [1982] HCA 57 WO v DPP [2009] NSWCCA 275 Zhang v Woodgate (2015) 208 LGERA 1; [2015] NSWLEC 10 Texts Cited: G Spencer Bower, A Turner and K Handley, The Doctrine of Res Judicata (3rd ed, 1996, Butterworths) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Environment Protection Authority (Applicant) Eastern Creek Operations Pty Limited (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: N Sharp SC / M Rabsch (Applicant) S Buchen SC / J Caldwell (Respondent)