Bega Valley Shire Council v Kenpass Pty Ltd [2024] NSWSC 399

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Bega Valley Shire Council v Kenpass Pty Ltd [2024] NSWSC 399 Hearing dates: 3 April 2024; further written submissions 8 April 2024 Date of orders: 17 April 2024 Decision date: 17 April 2024 Jurisdiction: Equity - Technology and Construction List Before: Nixon J Decision: (1) The Summons filed 11 March 2024 be dismissed. (2) The Plaintiff pay the Defendant's costs, as agreed or assessed. Catchwords: BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION – whether adjudication determination under Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 should be quashed – adjudicator determined that the payment schedule did not contain valid reasons for withholding payment and that the adjudication response advanced new reasons which the adjudicator was not permitted to consider – whether the adjudicator failed to comply with mandatory requirements of Act – whether there was a substantial denial of procedural fairness – jurisdictional error not established Legislation Cited: Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW) ss 14, 20, 22 Cases Cited: Ceerose Pty Ltd v A-Civil Aust Pty Ltd [2023] NSWCA 215 Coordinated Construction Co Pty Ltd v JM Hargreaves (NSW) Pty Ltd (2005) 63 NSWLR 385; [2005] NSWCA 228 CPB Contractors Pty Ltd v Heyday5 Pty Ltd [2020] NSWSC 1625 Demex Pty Ltd v McNab Building Services Pty Ltd [2023] NSWCA 261 Icon Co (NSW) Pty Ltd v Australia Avenue Developments Pty Ltd [2018] NSWCA 339 John Holland Pty Ltd v Roads and Traffic Authority of New South Wales (RTA) [2007] NSWCA 19 Multiplex Constructions Pty Ltd v Luikens [2003] NSWSC 1140 Perform (NSW) Pty Ltd v MEV-AUS Pty Ltd [2009] NSWCA 157 Probuild Constructions (Aust) Pty Ltd v Shade Systems Pty Ltd (2018) 264 CLR 1; [2018] HCA 4 Style Timber Floor Pty Ltd v Krivosudsky [2019] NSWCA 171 Witron Australia Pty Ltd v Turnkey Innovative Engineering Pty Ltd [2023] NSWCA 305 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Bega Valley Shire Council (Plaintiff) Kenpass Pty Ltd (First Defendant) John Tuhtan (Second Defendant) Representation: Counsel: D Weinberger (Plaintiff) M Christie SC (First Defendant)