Mills v Dunpec Pty Ltd [2024] NSWSC 340

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Mills v Dunpec Pty Ltd [2024] NSWSC 340 Hearing dates: 2 April 2024 Date of orders: 2 April 2024 Decision date: 02 April 2024 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Chen J Decision: (1) Order the defendant's notice of motion filed 14 February 2024 be dismissed. (2) Order the defendant to pay the plaintiff's costs of, and incidental to, the defendant's notice of motion filed 14 February 2024. Catchwords: CIVIL PROCEDURE – summary disposal – dismissal of proceedings – no reasonable cause of action disclosed – where defendant alleges the plaintiff is an employee of the defendant – where it is agreed that "pre-filing requirements" under the Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998 (NSW) have not been complied with – triable issue of fact found – application for summary dismissal dismissed CIVIL PROCEDURE – separate determination of questions – application for separate determination of whether the plaintiff is a worker employed by the defendant within the meaning of ss 4 and 5 of the Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998 (NSW) – application for separate determination dismissed Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) Workers Compensation Act 1987 (NSW) Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998 (NSW) Cases Cited: Allandale Blue Metal Pty Ltd v Roads and Maritime Services (2013) 195 LGERA 182; [2013] NSWCA 103 Crawley v Vero Insurance Ltd [2012] NSWSC 593 Cruden v Sae-Ung [2021] NSWSC 1070 Dey v Victorian Railways Commissioners (1949) 78 CLR 62; [1949] HCA 1 General Steel Industries Inc v Commissioner for Railways (NSW) (1964) 112 CLR 125; [1964] HCA 69 Hollis v Vabu Pty Ltd (2001) 207 CLR 21; [2001] HCA 44 Integral Home Loans Pty Ltd v Interstar Wholesale Finance Pty Ltd [2006] NSWSC 1464 Project Blue Sky Inc v Australian Broadcasting Authority (1998) 194 CLR 355 Silverton Ltd v Harvey [1975] 1 NSWLR 659 Simmons v New South Wales Trustee and Guardian [2014] NSWCA 405 Stevens v Brodribb Sawmilling Co Pty Ltd (1986) 160 CLR 16; [1986] HCA 1 Tepko Pty Ltd v Water Board (2001) 206 CLR 1; [2001] HCA 19 Tran v Vo [2017] NSWCA 134 Ugur v Attorney General for New South Wales [2019] NSWCA 86 Warragamba Winery Pty Ltd v State of New South Wales [2010] NSWSC 66 Wickstead v Browne (1992) 30 NSWLR 1 Category: Procedural rulings Parties: Donika Mills (plaintiff/respondent) Dunpec Pty Ltd (defendant/applicant) Representation: Counsel: S Kettle (plaintiff/respondent) H Pararajasingham (defendant/applicant)