Gunlake Quarries Pty Limited v The Minister for Planning [2022] NSWLEC 1570

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Gunlake Quarries Pty Limited v The Minister for Planning [2022] NSWLEC 1570 Hearing dates: 24-25 February 2021; 26 March 2021 Date of orders: 25 October 2022 Decision date: 25 October 2022 Jurisdiction: Class 1 Before: Adam AC Decision: The Court orders: (1) The appeal is dismissed. (2) The application made pursuant to s 4.55(8) of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 to modify State significant development consent SSD 7090 (Gunlake Quarry Extension Project – Modification 1) is refused. (3) The exhibits are returned except for A, B, C, D, 1, 2, 3 and 4. Catchwords: APPEAL – modification application – Gunlake Quarry Extension Project – modification of State significant development consent to reduce the size of the Biodiversity Offset Areas – interpretation of Final Determination for Box Gum Woodland – derived native grassland – determination of offset requirement using calculator – what is appropriate offset ratio – failure to locate original survey data – absence of reasons in the 2017 judgment giving effect to s34 agreement – management options for offset areas – submissions from objectors – jurisdictional prerequisites - whether the development to which the consent as modified relates is substantially the same development as the development for which the consent was originally granted Legislation Cited: Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016, s 1.3, Pt 6 Div 2 Biodiversity Conservation Regulation 2017, Pt 6 Div 6.1 Biosecurity Act 2015 Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. §1344 (1972)) (U.S.) Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, Pt 3A (repealed); ss 4.15, 4.55 (current) Land and Environment Court Act 1979, s 34 Local Land Services Act 2013, s 60B Minister for the Environment and Heritage (Cth), Inclusion of ecological communities in the list of communities under section 181 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (20 December 2005) Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (repealed), s 3 State Environmental Planning Policy (Mining, Petroleum and Extractive Industries) 2007, cl 14 State Environmental Planning Policy (Resources and Energy) 2021, s 2.20 Cases Cited: Al Maha Pty Ltd v Huajun Investments Pty Ltd (2018) 365 ALR 86; (2018) 233 LGERA 170; [2018] NSWCA 245 Arrage v Inner West Council [2019] NSWLEC 85 Australian Protein Recyclers Pty Limited v Goulburn Mulwaree Shire Council [2006] NSWLEC 641 Bottomline Group Pty Ltd v Snowy Monaro Regional Council [2020] NSWLEC 1155 Commonwealth of Australia v Randwick City Council [2001] NSWLEC 79 Gunlake Quarries Pty Limited v The Minister for Planning [2017] NSWLEC 1342 Newcastle and Hunter Valley Speleological Society Inc v Upper Hunter Shire Council and Stoneco Pty Ltd (2010) 210 LGERA 126; [2010] NSWLEC 48 Newcastle and Hunter Valley Speleological Society Inc v Upper Hunter Shire Council & Stoneco Pty Ltd (No 2) [2010] NSWLEC 104 VAW (Kurri Kurri) Pty Ltd v The Scientific Committee (Established under s127 of the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995) (2003) 55 NSWLR 631; 128 LGERA 419; [2003] NSWCA 297 Texts Cited: B.A. McKenney & J.M. Kieseker, 'Policy Development for Biodiversity Offsets: A Review of Offset Frameworks' (2010) 45 Environmental Management 165-176 B.D. Lin et al, 'The Genetic Overlap between Hair and Eye Color' (2016) 19 Twin Research and Human Genetics 595-599 David G. Stead, The Tree Book. (Shakespeare Head, Sydney, 1933) J.W. Audus, 1934 Native Trees of Australia (Whitcombe and Tombs Limited, Melbourne, 1934) Mark Tozer and Christopher Simpson, 'Conservation Assessment of White Box – Yellow Box – Blakley's Red Gum Grassy Woodland and Derived Native Grassland' (NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee, dated 22 June 2020) NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, Framework for Biodiversity Assessment: NSW Biodiversity Offsets Policy for Major Projects (September 2014, ISBN 978-1-74359-754-5) NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee, 'Final Determination: White Box Yellow Box Blakely's Red Gum Woodland – Endangered Ecological Community Listing' (15 March 2002) NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee, 'Final Determination: White Box Yellow Box Blakely's Red Gum Woodland – Determination to make a minor amendment to Part 3 of Schedule 1 of the Threatened Species Conservation Act' (2 December 2011) NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee, 'Final Determination: White Box – Yellow Box – Blakely's Red Gum Grassy Woodland and Derived Native Grassland in the NSW North Coast, New England Tableland, Nandewar, Brigalow Belt South, Sydney Basin, South Eastern Highlands, NSW South Western Slopes, South East Corner and Riverina Bioregions – Critically Endangered Ecological Community Listing' (17 July 2020) R.F. Ambrose, 'Wetland mitigation in the United States: assessing the success of mitigation policies' (2000) 19 Wetlands (Australia) 1-17 R. L. Specht, 'Foliage projective cover and standing biomass' in A.N. Gillison and D.J. Anderson (eds), Vegetation Classification in Australia (CSIRO/ANU Press, Canberra, 1981) pp 10-21 S. Wilkins, D.A. Keith & P. Adam, 'Measuring Success: Evaluating the Restoration of a Grassy Eucalypt Woodland on the Cumberland Plain, Sydney, Australia' (2003) 11 Restoration Ecology 489-503 NSW Environment, Energy and Science, 'Speckled Warbler – profile' (Online) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Gunlake Quarries Pty Limited (Applicant) The Minister for Planning (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: A Pickles SC with L Nurpuri (Applicant) J Reid with J Flaherty (Respondent)