Quarry Street Pty Ltd v Minister Administering the Crown Land Management Act 2016 [2024] NSWCA 107

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Quarry Street Pty Ltd v Minister Administering the Crown Land Management Act 2016 [2024] NSWCA 107 Hearing dates: 28 February 2024 Decision date: 10 May 2024 Before: White JA at [1]; Adamson JA at [131]; Stern JA at [132] Decision: (1) Appeal allowed. (2) Set aside the orders of the Land and Environment Court made on 9 June 2023 and in their place make the following orders: (a) an order in the nature of certiorari to quash the decision made by the first respondent on 10 December 2021 that the land in Lot 5 DP1156846 was claimable Crown land; (b) an order in the nature of mandamus to compel the first respondent to refuse land claim ALC 42494 made on 19 December 2016 in respect of Lot 5 DP1156846. (3) Order that the respondents pay the appellant's costs of the proceedings below and of the appeal. Catchwords: LAND LAW — Indigenous land rights — Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 (NSW) — Claimable Crown lands — Lawfully used or occupied for the purposes of s 36(1)(b) — Definition of "land" — Where land claimed is subject to a lease granted by the Crown — Where no lawful physical use of the land by tenant — Whether a "use" of the land may include a non-physical use — Claimable Crown lands include all estates and interests in the land — Multiple concurrent users with different "uses" and purposes must be considered independently — Leasing of the land by the Crown is a valid "use" of the estate in fee simple — Minister's decision an error of law and legally unreasonable — Appeal allowed. Legislation Cited: Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 (NSW), s 36 Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW), ss 23, 87A, 127, 129 Crown Land Management Act 2016 (NSW) Crown Lands Act 1989 (NSW), ss 6, 34, 78, 87 Crown Lands Consolidation Act 1913 (NSW) Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW), s 8 Land and Income Tax Assessment Act 1895 (NSW), s 11(5) Local Government Act 1919 (NSW), s 132(1)(c) Mining Act 1906 (NSW) Real Property Act 1900 (NSW), s 42 Western Lands Act 1901 (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) r 59.1(b); r 59.9 Cases Cited: Chief Commissioner of State Revenue v Metricon Qld Pty Ltd [2017] NSWCA 11; (2017) 224 LGERA 236 Commissioner of Income Tax v Hanover Agencies Ltd [1967] 1 AC 681 Commissioners of Taxation v Trustees of St Mark's Glebe [1902] AC 416 Council of the City of Newcastle v Royal Newcastle Hospital (1959) 100 CLR 1; [1959] AC 248 Council of the Municipality of Randwick v Rutledge (1959) 102 CLR 54; [1959] HCA 63 CSR Ltd v Eddy (2005) 226 CLR 1; [2005] HCA 64 Daruk Local Aboriginal Land Council v Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act (1993) 30 NSWLR 140 John Alexander's Clubs Pty Ltd v White City Tennis Club Ltd; Walker Corporation Pty Ltd v White City Tennis Club Ltd (2010) 241 CLR 1; [2010] HCA 19 Macquarie University v Ryde Municipal Council [1977] 1 NSWLR 304 Metricon Qld Pty Ltd v Chief Commissioner of State Revenue (No. 2) [2016] NSWSC 332 Minister Administering Crown Lands Act v Bathurst Local Aboriginal Land Council [2009] NSWCA 138; (2009) 166 LGERA 379 Minister Administering Crown Lands Act v Deerubbin Local Aboriginal Land Council (No. 2) (2001) 50 NSWLR 665 Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act 1989 v NSW Aboriginal Land Council [2018] NSWLEC 26; (2018) 231 LGERA 145 Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act v La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council [2012] NSWCA 359; (2012) 193 LGERA 276 Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act v New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council (2008) 237 CLR 285; [2008] HCA 48 Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act v New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council (No. 2) (1997) 42 NSWLR 641 Mondelez Australia Pty Ltd v Automotive, Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing and Kindred Industries Union known as the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU) & Ors (2020) 271 CLR 495; [2020] HCA 29 New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council v Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act (2016) 260 CLR 232; [2016] HCA 50 New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council v Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act (1992) 78 LGERA 1 New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council v Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act [2007] NSWCA 281; (2007) 157 LGERA 18 Newcastle City Council v Royal Newcastle Hospital (1957) 96 CLR 493; [1957] HCA 15 News Ltd v Australian Rugby Football League Ltd (1996) 64 FCR 410; [1996] FCA 870 Parramatta City Council v Brickworks Ltd (1972) 128 CLR 1; [1972] HCA 21 Pegang Mining Co Ltd v Choong Sam [1969] 2 MLJ 52 Probuild Constructions (Aust) Pty Ltd v Shade Systems Pty Ltd (2018) 264 CLR 1; [2018] HCA 4 Ross v Lane Cove Council (2014) 86 NSWLR 34; [2014] NSWCA 50 Ryde Municipal Council v Macquarie University (1978) 139 CLR 633; [1978] HCA 58 Salvation Army (Victoria) Property Trust v Fern Tree Gully Corporation (1952) 85 CLR 159; [1952] HCA 4 Shaw v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (2003) 218 CLR 28; [2003] HCA 72 Stephen v Federal Commissioner of Land Tax (1930) 45 CLR 122; [1930] HCA 46 Tourapark Pty Ltd v Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1982) 149 CLR 176; [1982] HCA 18 Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act v NSW Aboriginal Land Council (1993) 31 NSWLR 106 Mogo Local Aboriginal Land Council v Eurobodalla Shire Council (2002) 54 NSWLR 15; [2002] NSWCA 12 Texts Cited: Butt's Land Law, 7 ed, Law Book Co (2017) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Quarry Street Pty Ltd (Appellant) Minister Administering the Crown Land Management Act 2016 (First Respondent) La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council (Second Respondent) New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council (Third Respondent) Representation: Counsel: B Lim (Appellant) Z Heger with C Akthar (First Respondent) M Wright SC with O Jones (Second and Third Respondents)