Save Bungendore Park Inc v Minister for Education and Early Learning [2023] NSWLEC 140

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Save Bungendore Park Inc v Minister for Education and Early Learning [2023] NSWLEC 140 Hearing dates: 17 July 2023, further written submissions 28 July 2023 Date of orders: 13 December 2023 Decision date: 13 December 2023 Jurisdiction: Class 4 Before: Pritchard J Decision: The Court makes the following declaration and orders: (1) The grant of development consent by the Minister for Planning on 24 January 2023 purportedly pursuant to s 4.38 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) to development application SSD-14394209 for the construction and operation of a new high school at Bungendore (development consent) is invalid. (2) The development consent is set aside. (3) Unless any party notifies the Court within 7 days of the publication of these reasons, that is by Wednesday, 20 December 2023, that it seeks to be heard on the question of costs, the respondents to pay the applicant's costs of the proceedings. Catchwords: JUDICIAL REVIEW – development consent granted for State significant development pursuant to s 4.38 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) – development consent granted in relation to Crown land – consent not obtained from the Minister administering the Crown Land Management Act 2016 (NSW) on behalf of the Crown – whether jurisdictional error – whether reliance on cl 49 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000 (NSW) obviated the need for consent prescribed by s 2.23 of the Crown Land Management Act 2016 (NSW) – statutory construction – whether the Court should grant conditional validity pursuant to s 25B of the Land and Environment Court Act 1979 (NSW) – whether failure to obtain owner's consent is a "technical breach" Legislation Cited: Administrative Arrangements (Second Perrottet Ministry—Transitional) Order 2021 Constitution Act 1902 (NSW) Crown Land Management Act 2016 (NSW) s 2.23 Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) ss 1.4, 4.12(1), 4.36, 4.38 Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000 (NSW) cl 49 Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2021 (NSW) s 23(2), Schedule 6, Part 1, cl 3 Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW) s 33 Land and Environment Court Act 1979 (NSW) ss 25B, 25E Local Government Act 1993 (NSW) ss 36, 40, 44 Uniform Civil Procedures Rules 2005 (NSW) r 59.3 Cases Cited: Adams v Great Lakes Council (No 2) [2010] NSWLEC 37 Adams v Great Lakes Council (No 3) (2010) 179 LGERA 302; [2010] NSWLEC 224 ADCO Constructions Pty Ltd v Goudappel (2014) 254 CLR 1; [2014] HCA 18 Al Maha Pty Ltd v Huajun Investments Pty Ltd (2018) 233 LGERA 170; [2018] NSWCA 245 Anglican Church Property Trust Diocese of Sydney v Camden Council [2021] NSWLEC 118 Attorney-General v The Municipal Council of Sydney (1919) 20 SR (NSW) 46 Belmore Residents' Action Group Inc v Canterbury City Council (2006) 147 LGERA 226; [2006] NSWLEC 530 CIC Insurance Ltd v Bankstown Football Club Ltd (1997) 187 CLR 384; [1997] HCA 2 Boydtown Pty Ltd v Minister for Planning and Public Spaces [2023] NSWLEC 47 Brown v Randwick City Council (2011) 183 LGERA 382; [2011] NSWLEC 172 Bungendore Residents Group Inc v Palerang Council (No 4) [2007] NSWLEC 536 Certain Lloyd's Underwriters Subscribing to Contract No IH00AAQS v Cross (2012) 248 CLR 378; [2012] HCA 56 Cooper Brookes (Wollongong) Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation (1981) 147 CLR 297; [1981] HCA 26 Dubler Group Pty Ltd v Minister for Infrastructure and Planning and Natural Resources (2004) 137 LGERA 178; [2004] NSWCA 424 Filetron Pty Ltd v Innovate Partners Pty Ltd [2023] NSWLEC 45 Gazcorp Pty Ltd v Westfield Management Pty Ltd [2004] NSWCA 63 GPT Re Ltd v Wollongong City Council (No 2) (2006) 151 LGERA 158; [2006] NSWLEC 401 Hoxton Park Residents Action Group Inc v Liverpool City Council (No 3) (2012) 190 LGERA 119; [2012] NSWLEC 43 Hurstville City Council v Minister for Planning and Infrastructure (2012) 189 LGERA 269; [2012] NSWLEC 134 Katoa v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs (2022) 96 ALJR 819; [2022] HCA 28 Kindimindi Investments Pty Ltd v Lane Cove Council and Anor (2007) 150 LGERA 333; [2007] NSWCA 38 Kirby v Health Care Complaints Commission (NSW) [2021] NSWCA 138 Liverpool City Council v Moorebank Recyclers Ply Ltd [2018] NSWCA 7 Mills v Commissioner of Taxation (2012) 250 CLR 171; [2012] HCA 51 Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v SZMTA (2019) 264 CLR 421; [2019] HCA 3 Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs v Moorcroft (2021) 95 ALJR 557; [2021] HCA 19 Minogue v State of Victoria (2018) 264 CLR 252; [2018] HCA 27 MZAPC v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (2021) 273 CLR 506; [2021] HCA 17 New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council v Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act (2015) 215 LGERA 103; [2015] NSWCA 349 New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council v Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act (2016) 260 CLR 232; [2016] HCA 50 NH v Director of Public Prosecutions (SA) (2016) 260 CLR 546; [2016] HCA 33 Project Blue Sky Inc v Australian Broadcasting Authority (1998) 194 CLR 355; [1998] HCA 28 Queensland Bulk Water Supply Authority t/as Seqwater v Rodriguez & Sons Pty Ltd (2021) 393 ALR 162; [2021] NSWCA 206 Satmell Holdings Pty Ltd v Blacktown City Council [2019] NSWLEC 94 Sydney City Council v Ipoh Pty Ltd (2006) 68 NSWLR 411; [2006] NSWCA 300 Taylor v Owners - Strata Plan No 11564 (2014) 253 CLR 531; [2014] HCA 9 Valuer-General v Sydney Fish Market Pty Ltd (2023) 255 LGERA 415; [2023] NSWCA 52 Vella v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (2015) 230 FCR 61; [2015] FCAFC 53 Warringah Shire Council v Sedevcic (1987) 10 NSWLR 335 Waverley Council v Samadi [2020] NSWLEC 67 Texts Cited: Explanatory Memorandum, Crown Land Management Bill 2016 New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), 9 November 2016 Herzfeld and Prince, Interpretation (2020, Thomson Reuters, 2nd ed) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Save Bungendore Park Inc (Applicant) Minister for Education and Early Learning (First Respondent) Minister for Planning (Second Respondent) Representation: Counsel: A Stafford (Applicant) D Hume (First Respondent) F Berglund (Second Respondent) Solicitors: Beatty Hughes and Associates (Applicant) MinterEllison (First Respondent) Department of Planning and Environment (Second Respondent) File Number(s): 2023/88750 Publication restriction: Nil