Valuer-General v Sydney Fish Market Pty Ltd [2023] NSWCA 52

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Valuer-General v Sydney Fish Market Pty Ltd [2023] NSWCA 52 Hearing dates: 8 March 2023 Decision date: 28 March 2023 Before: Leeming JA at [1]; Mitchelmore JA at [109]; Kirk JA at [110] Decision: 1. Grant leave to appeal. 2. Appeal dismissed, with costs. Catchwords: CROWN LAND - "Crown lease restricted" - Crown land - whether lease granted in 1994 over Crown land resulted in land being "Crown lease restricted" for purposes of Valuation of Land Act 1916 (NSW), s 14I - whether lease a "holding" for purposes of Valuation of Land Act - whether lease granted under Crown Lands Act 1989 (NSW) or Fish Marketing Act 1994 (NSW) - significance of transfer of land in 2006 from Crown to State Property Authority - whether vesting of land in a statutory authority caused land to cease to be Crown land STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION - whether lease granted in 1994 over Crown land was exercise of power under Crown Lands Act 1989 or Fish Marketing Act 1994 or both - significance of identity of Minister executing lease - significance of preconditions to exercise of power under Crown Lands Act - whether implied repeal - whether Fish Marketing Act displaced Crown Lands Act - importance of identifying whether in fact Fish Marketing Act conferred power at all Legislation Cited: Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 (NSW) Commonwealth Constitution, s 92 Constitution Act 1902 (NSW), s 37A(3) Crown Land Management Act 2016 (NSW), ss 1.2(c), 1.5, 1.8, 1.15(2)(a); Sch 7, Div 6, cll 2, 26 Crown Lands Act 1989 (NSW), ss 3, 6-7, 34, 35, Pt 6 Crown Lands Alienation Act of 1861 (25 Vict No 1) Crown Lands Consolidation Act 1913 (NSW), ss 4, 5 Fish Marketing Act 1994 (NSW), ss 6, 5, 8, 9, 16(a), Sch 1 Fish Marketing Amendment (Deregulation) Act 1997 (NSW), Sch 1, item 5 Fisheries and Oyster Farms Act 1935 (NSW), s 41A Fisheries and Oyster Farms (Amendment) Act 1942 (NSW) Fisheries and Oyster Farms (Amendment) Act 1963 (NSW) Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW), ss 13(b), 15(2)(a), 21 Land and Environment Court Act 1979 (NSW), s 57(1) Property NSW Act 2006 (NSW), s 19 Real Property Act 1900 (NSW) State Property Authority Act 2006 (NSW), ss 5, 11(1)(a)-(b), Sch 3, item 3.1 Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth), s 51 Trustee Act 1925 (NSW), s 78(3) Valuation of Land Act 1916 (NSW), ss 6A, 14I, 29, 35B, 37 Valuation of Land Amendment Act 2000 (NSW) Cases Cited: Anthony Hordern & Sons v Amalgamated Clothing and Allied Trades Union of Australia (1932) 47 CLR 1; [1932] HCA 9 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v PT Garuda Indonesia Ltd (2016) 244 FCR 190; [2016] FCAFC 42 Brown v West (1990) 169 CLR 195; [1990] HCA 7 Cam & Sons Pty Ltd v Chief Secretary of NSW (1951) 84 CLR 442; [1951] HCA 59 Cherry v Steele-Park (2017) 96 NSWLR 548; [2017] NSWCA 295 Chief Commissioner of State Revenue v Centro (CPL) Ltd (2011) 81 NSWLR 462; [2011] NSWCA 325 Clubb v Edwards (2019) 267 CLR 171; [2019] HCA 11 Commonwealth v New South Wales (1923) 33 CLR 1; [1923] HCA 34 CPCF v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (2015) 255 CLR 514; [2015] HCA 1 Davis v City North Infrastructure Pty Ltd [2012] 2 Qd R 103 Energy Resources of Australia Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation [2003] FCA 26; (2003) 52 ATR 120 Ex parte Collins (1914) SR (NSW) 31 Fejo v Northern Territory of Australia (1998) 195 CLR 96; [1998] HCA 58 Fensom and Anor v Cootamundra Racecourse Reserve Trust [2000] NSWSC 1072 Fonu v Merrill Lynch Bank and Trust Company (Cayman) Ltd (Cayman Islands) [2011] UKPC 17; [2011] 4 All ER 704 Goodwin v Phillips (1908) 7 CLR 1; [1908] HCA 55 Griffith University v Tang (2005) 221 CLR 99; [2005] HCA 7 Jaques v Stafford (1890) 11 LR (NSW) 127 Lend Lease (Millers Point) Pty Limited v Council of the City of Sydney [2014] NSWLEC 64 Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs v Nystrom (2006) 228 CLR 566; [2006] HCA 50 Moore v The Attorney General (Irish Free State) [1935] AC 484 New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council v Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act (2015) 215 LGERA 103; [2015] NSWCA 349 R v Bevan; Ex parte Elias and Gordon (1942) 66 CLR 452; [1942] HCA 12 Randwick Municipal Council v Rutledge (1959) 102 CLR 54; [1959] HCA 63 Randwick Municipal Council v Thompson (1943) 15 LGR (NSW) 85 Re Ku-ring-gai Co-operative Building Society (No 12) Ltd (1978) 36 FLR 134; [1978] FCA 50 Richardson v Landecker (1950) 50 SR (NSW) 250 Royal Sydney Golf Club v Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1955) 91 CLR 610; [1955] HCA 13 The Minister of State for the Interior v The Brisbane Amateur Turf Club (1949) 80 CLR 123; [1949] HCA 31 Transport for NSW v Eureka Operations Pty Ltd [2022] NSWCA 56 VAW (Kurri Kurri) Pty Ltd v Scientific Committee (2003) 58 NSWLR 631; [2003] NSWCA 297 Walsh v Minister for Lands (NSW) (1960) 103 CLR 240; [1960] HCA 52 Westfield Management Ltd v Perpetual Trustee Company Ltd (2007) 233 CLR 528; [2007] HCA 45 Texts Cited: C Jessel, Crown and Government Land: Prerogative, Statute and Common Law (2023, Wildy, Simmonds and Hill Publishing) Sir George Farwell, A concise treatise on powers (3rd ed, 1916, Stevens and Sons Ltd) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Valuer-General (Applicant) Sydney Fish Market Pty Ltd (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: J Waters SC, M Dalla-Pozza (Applicant) R Lancaster SC (Respondent)