Grant Barnes, Chief Regulatory Officer, Natural Resources Access Regulator v Robert Beltrame [2023] NSWLEC 18

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Grant Barnes, Chief Regulatory Officer, Natural Resources Access Regulator v Robert Beltrame [2023] NSWLEC 18 Hearing dates: 25 November 2022 Date of orders: 3 March 2023 Decision date: 03 March 2023 Jurisdiction: Class 5 Before: Pritchard J Decision: The orders of the Court are as follows: (1) The defendant is convicted of the offence charged. (2) The defendant is fined the sum of $26,250. (3) Pursuant to s 257B of the Criminal Procedure Act 1986, the defendant is to pay the prosecutor's costs in the agreed amount of $20,000 in accordance with s 257G(a) of that Act. (4) Pursuant to s 353G(1)(a) of the Water Management Act 2000, the defendant is to cause a notice to be published within 28 days of this order in the digital and print versions of The Land newspaper and The Irrigator newspaper (at the minimum sizes of 10cm x 18.6cm and within the first 12 pages of those publications) in the terms set out in Annexure A to this order. (5) Pursuant to section 122 of the Fines Act 1966, a half share of the fine imposed by the Court under order 2 is to be paid to the prosecutor. Catchwords: SENTENCING – environmental offence – guilty plea – contravene bore extraction limit condition of approval – water access licence – person other than the licence holder – water supply work and water use approval – objects of the Water Management Act 2000 (NSW) – water management principles –maximum penalty – objective circumstances – inadvertent and not deliberate breach – whether offence committed for financial gain – impact on other persons' water rights – market value of water lost, misused or unlawfully taken – extent of harm caused or likely to be caused to the environment – reasonable foreseeability – control over causes that gave rise to the offence – whether offence committed during a severe water shortage – subjective circumstances – remorse shown by the offender – early plea of guilty – assistance to authorities – good character and no prior convictions – not likely to reoffend – principles of sentencing – proportionality – general deterrence – specific deterrence – denunciation and retribution – consistency in sentencing – comparable sentences – whether the offence should have been prosecuted in the Local Court – maximum penalty for the same offence in the Local Court – capacity to pay fine – payment of share of fine to prosecutor – penalty imposed – publication order Legislation Cited: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) ss 3A, 10, 21A, 22, 32 Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW) ss 257B, 275G(a) Fines Act 1996 (NSW) ss 6, 122 Protection of the Environment Administration Act 1991 (NSW) s 6(2) Water Management Act 2000 (NSW) ss 3, 5, 9(1), 60A, 60C, 88A(1), 91B, 91G(1), 91G(2), 91I, 99A, 100(1), 336C, 353G, 363B(b)(ii), 364A Water Management Amendment Act 2018 (NSW) s 2, Sch 1 items [66]-[67] Cases Cited: Axer Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority (1993) 113 LGERA 357 Barbaro v The Queen (2014) 253 CLR 58; [2014] HCA 2 Bentley v BGP Properties Pty Ltd (2006) 145 LGERA 234; [2006] NSWLEC 34 Bonwick v R [2010] NSWCCA 177 Camilleri's Stock Feeds Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority (1993) 32 NSWLR 683 at 698; (1993) 82 LGERA 21 Chief Executive, Office of Environment and Heritage v Parrish & Son Pty Ltd [2020] NSWLEC 47 Director General of National Parks and Wildlife v Wilkinson [2002] NSWLEC 171 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v De La Rosa (2010) 243 FLR 28; [2010] NSWCCA 194 Director-General of the Department of Environment and Climate Change v Rae (2009) 168 LGERA 121; [2009] NSWLEC 137 Elias v The Queen (2013) 248 CLR 483, [2013] HCA 31 Environment Protection Authority v Capdate Pty Ltd (1993) 78 LGERA 349 Environment Protection Authority v Charlotte Pass Snow Resort Pty Ltd (No 3) [2022] NSWLEC 136 Environment Protection Authority v Crown in the Right of New South Wales [2019] NSWLEC 178 Environment Protection Authority v Ditchfield Contracting Pty Limited [2018] NSWLEC 90 Environment Protection Authority v Fulton Hogan Pty Ltd (2008) 163 LGERA 345; [2008] NSWLEC 268 Environment Protection Authority v Gammasonics Institute for Medical Research Pty Ltd [2019] NSWLEC 190 Environment Protection Authority v Hughes [2019] NSWLEC 108 Environment Protection Authority v M A Roche Group Pty Ltd [2015] NSWLEC 29 Environment Protection Authority v Ravensworth Operations Pty Limited [2012] NSWLEC 222 Environment Protection Authority v Sibelco Australia Limited [2011] NSWLEC 160 Environment Protection Authority v University of Sydney [2022] NSWLEC 41 Environment Protection Authority v Waste Recycling and Processing Corporation (2006) 148 LGERA 299; [2006] NSWLEC 419 Environment Protection Authority v Wollondilly Abattoirs Pty Ltd & Davis [2019] NSWCCA 312 Environmental Protection Authority v Crush and Haul Pty Ltd [2022] NSWLEC 113 Fairfield City Council v Oztech Developments Pty Ltd; Fairfield City Council v Bellagio Investments Pty Ltd [2021] NSWLEC 81 Garrett v Williams (2006) 160 LGERA 115; [2006] NSWLEC 785 Grant Barnes, Chief Regulatory Officer Natural Resources Access Regulator v Budvalt Pty Ltd; Harris [2020] NSWLEC 113 Grant Barnes, Chief Regulatory Officer Natural Resources Access Regulator v Hogan (Griffith Local Court (NSW), Love LCM, 4 February 2022, unrep) Grant Barnes, Chief Regulatory Officer Natural Resources Access Regulator v Maules Creek Coal Pty Ltd [2021] NSWLEC 135 Grant Barnes, Chief Regulatory Officer, Natural Resources Access Regulator v O'Haire [2020] NSWLEC 158 Harris v Harrison (2014) 86 NSWLR 422; [2014] NSWCCA 84 Harrison v Perdikaris [2015] NSWLEC 99 Hili v The Queen (2010) 242 CLR 520; [2010] HCA 45 Hoare v The Queen (1989) 167 CLR 348; [1989] HCA 33 Hornsby Shire Council v Henlong Property Group Pty Ltd (No 2) [2019] NSWLEC 17 Kite v R [2009] NSWCCA 12 Markarian v The Queen (2005) 228 CLR 357; [2005] HCA 25 Muldrock v The Queen (2011) 244 CLR 120; [2011] HCA 39 Natural Resources Access Regulator v Tony Thompson [2022] NSWLEC 48 Plath v Rawson (2009) 170 LGERA 253; [2009] NSWLEC 178 R v Crombie [1999] NSWCCA 297 R v Doan (2000) 50 NSWLR 115; [2000] NSWCCA 317 R v M (CA) [1996] 1 SCR 500 R v McNaughton (2006) 66 NSWLR 566; [2006] NSWCCA 242 R v Olbrich (1999) 199 CLR 270; [1999] HCA 54 R v Palmer [2005] NSWCCA 349 R v Peel [1971] 1 NSWLR 247 R v Rushby [1977] 1 NSWLR 594 R v Storey [1998] 1 VR 359 R v Thomson; R v Houlton (2000) 49 NSWLR 383; [2000] NSWCCA 309 Ryan v The Queen (2001) 206 CLR 267 Schwager (Narrabri Local Court (NSW), 26 November 2021, unrep) Veen v The Queen (No 2) (1988) 164 CLR 465; [1988] HCA 14 Water NSW v Barlow (2019) 244 LGERA 1; [2019] NSWLEC 30 Zreika v R (2012) 223 A Crim R 460; [2012] NSWCCA 44 Texts Cited: Nil Category: Sentence Parties: Grant Barnes, Chief Regulatory Officer, Natural Resources Access Regulator (Prosecutor) Robert Beltrame (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: