William Lloyd Carey-Evans and Jennifer Anne Quist as Executors of the Estate of Robert Rufus Carey-Evans v Wenhao Wu [2022] NSWLEC 144

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: William Lloyd Carey-Evans and Jennifer Anne Quist as Executors of the Estate of Robert Rufus Carey-Evans v Wenhao Wu [2022] NSWLEC 144 Hearing dates: 20 October 2022 Date of orders: 05 December 2022 Decision date: 05 December 2022 Jurisdiction: Class 4 Before: Preston CJ Decision: The Court: (1) Declares that, by operation of cl 1.9A of Woollahra Local Environmental Plan 2014 (NSW), the instrument recorded in Dealing B823062 does not apply to the extent necessary to serve the purpose of enabling development to be carried out on Lot 1 in DP 110554, known as 31 Vaucluse Road, Vaucluse NSW, in accordance with the development consent to DA 394/2020 granted by Woollahra Municipal Council on 23 February 2021 and modified on 6 September 2021. (2) Dismisses the summons filed in the Supreme Court of NSW on 17 January 2021 and transferred to the Land and Environment Court of NSW on 7 April 2022. (3) Orders William Lloyd Carey-Evans and Jennifer Ann Quist as Executors of the Estate of Robert Rufus Carey-Evans to pay the costs of Wenhao Wu of both the summons and cross -summons in the proceedings. Catchwords: DEVELOPMENT – development consent to erect dwelling house – land burdened by dealing creating rights of light, air and prospect – dwelling house would exceed height plane specified in dealing – statutory provision suspending specified regulatory instruments to enable development to be carried out – specified instruments are "any agreement, covenant or other similar instrument" – whether dealing any of these instruments – instrument "restricts the carrying out of that development" – whether dealing so restricts – statutory provision applies to dealing – whether breach of rights of light, air and prospect a nuisance – substantial interference required for nuisance – substantial interference with rights not established. EASEMENTS – dealing creating rights of light, air and prospect – whether grant of easement – whether easement for light and air – whether easement for prospect or restrictive covenant. Legislation Cited: Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW), ss 88, 99 Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW), s 3.16 Real Property Act 1900 (NSW), ss 31B, 40, 41, 46, 47 Woollahra Local Environmental Plan 2014 (NSW), cl 1.9A Cases Cited: Aldred's Case (1610) 9 Co Rep 57(b); (1610) 77 ER 816 Allen v Greenwood [1980] Ch 119 Atkinson v Long (1885) 2 QLJ 99 Aussie Skips Recycling Pty Ltd v Strathfield Municipal Council (2020) 103 NSWLR 834; [2020] NSWCA 292 Bursill Enterprises Pty Ltd v Berger Bros Trading Co Pty Ltd (1971) 124 CLR 73; [1971] HCA 9 Campbell v Paddington Corporation [1911] 1 KB 869 Chastey v Ackland (1895) 11 TLR 460 Cracknell and Lonergan Pty Limited v Council of the City of Sydney (2007) 155 LGERA 291; [2007] NSWLEC 392 Colls v Home and Colonial Stores Ltd [1904] AC 179 Commonwealth v Registrar of Titles for Victoria (1918) 24 CLR 348; [1918] HCA 17 Coshott v Ludwig (1997) 8 BPR 15,519 Cumerlong Holdings Pty Ltd v Dalcross Properties Pty Ltd (2011) 243 CLR 492; [2011] HCA 27 Dalton v Henry Angus & Co (1881) 6 App Cas 740 Deguisa v Lynn (2020) 268 CLR 638; [2020] HCA 39 Harris v De Pinna (1886) 33 Ch D 238 Hunter v Canary Wharf Ltd [1997] AC 655 Leech v Schweder (1874) LR 9 Ch App 463 Palmer v Board of Land and Works (1875) 1 VLR (E) 80 Pro-Vision Developments Pty Limited v Ku-ring-gai Municipal Council (2003) 131 LGERA 108; [2003] NSWLEC 226 Ryan v Sutherland [2011] NSWSC 1397 Thwaites v Brahe (1895) 21 VLR 192 Westfield Management Ltd v Perpetual Trustee Co Ltd (2007) 233 CLR 528; [2007] HCA 45 Texts Cited: John Baalman, "No easement for prospect" (1942) 16 ALJ 126 Adrian J Bradbrook and Susan V MacCallum, Bradbrook and Neave's Easements and Restrictive Covenants (3rd ed, 2011, LexisNexis Butterworths) Sir Paul Morgan and Jonathan Gaunt QC, Gale on Easements (21st ed, 2020, Sweet & Maxwell) Category: Principal judgment Parties: William Lloyd Carey-Evans and Jennifer Anne Quist as Executors of the Estate of Robert Rufus Carey-Evans (Applicant/First Cross-Respondent) Wenhao Wu (First Respondent/Cross-Applicant) Sunny Siu Kei Ngai (Second Cross-Respondent) Representation: Counsel: S Free SC and H Ryan (Applicant/First Cross-Respondent) A Pickles SC and G Farland (First Respondent/Cross-Applicant) Submitting appearance by Second Cross-Respondent