Dibb v Transport for New South Wales [2024] NSWCA 157

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Dibb v Transport for New South Wales [2024] NSWCA 157 Hearing dates: 30-31 May 2024 Date of orders: 28 June 2024 Decision date: 28 June 2024 Before: Payne JA at [1]; Kirk JA at [2]; Stern JA [3]. Decision: (1) Appeal dismissed. (2) Cross-appeal allowed. (3) Orders of the primary judge dated 26 October 2023 are varied so as to delete order 1(c). (4) Appellants to pay the respondent's costs of the appeal. Catchwords: APPEALS – Further evidence – whether the appellants should be granted leave to rely upon further evidence on the appeal VALUATION – Compulsory acquisition – market value – where freehold interest in land acquired by the respondent for Coffs Harbour Bypass Project – where appellants objected to compensation awarded by primary judge – whether primary judge erred in applying s 56 of the Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act 1991 (NSW) in determining market value of the acquired property EVIDENCE – Witness evidence – adversarial bias – whether the evidence of the respondent's hydrology and valuation expert witnesses should have been inadmissible due to adversarial bias APPEALS – Procedural fairness – whether appellants denied procedural fairness by conduct of their case by counsel below – whether appellants denied procedural fairness by conduct of the Valuer Conclave – whether appellants denied procedural fairness by apprehended bias of the primary judge EVIDENCE – Witness evidence – valuation experts – supervision of the expert valuation conclave VALUATION – Valuer – comparable sales – where expert valuers disagreed as to location adjustment for Corindi Property – whether primary judge erred in accepting the respondent's expert valuer's location adjustment VALUATION – Valuer – comparable sales – where comparable sale of Shepherds Lane Property relied on by appellants' expert valuer – whether primary judge erred in disallowing Shepherds Lane Property as a comparable sale on the basis it was a compulsory acquisition VALUATION – Compulsory acquisition – disturbance – where primary judge awarded compensation under s 59(1)(f) of the Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act 1991 (NSW) for stamp duty on a replacement property which was not for "relocation" – whether primary judge's award for disturbance erroneous as a matter of legal principle in light of the Court of Appeal's findings in Sydney Metro v G&J Drivas Pty Ltd [2024] NSWCA 5 Legislation Cited: Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act 1991 (NSW), ss 42(1), 55, 56, 57, 59, 66 Land and Environment Court Act 1979 (NSW), s 57(1) Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 75A Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 31.24(6) Water Management Act 2000 (NSW) Cases Cited: Barkat v Roads and Maritime Services [2019] NSWCA 240 Blacktown Council v Fitzpatrick Investments Pty Ltd [2001] NSWCA 259 Bligh Consulting Pty Ltd v Ausgrid [2017] NSWCA 95 Boral Bricks (Qld) Ltd v Director-General, Department of Main Roads (1997) 20 QLCR 1 Chouman v Margules (1993) 17 MVR 144 Comlin Holdings Pty Ltd v Metlej Developments Pty Ltd (2019) 99 NSWLR 447; [2019] NSWCA 73 Coulton v Holcombe (1986) 162 CLR 1; [1986] HCA 33 Crescendo Management Pty Ltd v Westpac Banking Corporation (1988) 19 NSWLR 40 Ebner v Official Trustee in Bankruptcy (2000) 205 CLR 337; [2000] HCA 63 G&J Drivas Pty Ltd v Sydney Metro [2023] NSWLEC 20 Hampson v Hampson [2010] NSWCA 359 Kimberley Developments Pty Ltd v Bale [2023] NSWCA 25 Koutsouras v State Rail Authority [1991] NSWCA 168 Kudrynski v Orange City Council [2024] NSWCA 33 Maurici v Chief Commissioner of State Revenue (2003) 212 CLR 111; [2003] HCA 8 Melwood Units Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Main Roads [1979] AC 426 Merivale Motel Investments Pty Ltd v Brisbane Exposition & South Bank Redevelopment Authority [1988] 2 Qd R 562; (1987) 64 LGRA 108 Minister of Environment v Petroccia (1982) 30 SASR 333 Nudd v The Queen [2006] HCA 9; (2006) 80 ALJR 614 Phoenix Commercial Enterprises Pty Ltd v City of Canada Bay Council [2010] NSWCA 64 R v Birks (1990) 19 NSWLR 677 Spencer v The Commonwealth of Australia (1907) 5 CLR 418; [1907] HCA 82 Suttor v Gundowda Pty Ltd (1950) 81 CLR 418; [1950] HCA 35 Sydney Metro v G&J Drivas Pty Ltd [2024] NSWCA 5 Sydney Water Corporation v Caruso [2009] NSWCA 391; (2009) 170 LGERA 298 Sydney Water Corporation v Marrickville Council [2014] NSWCA 438 Tjiong v Tjiong [2012] NSWCA 201 TKWJ v The Queen (2002) 212 CLR 124; [2002] HCA 46 Turner v Minister of Public Instruction (1956) 95 CLR 245; [1956] HCA 7 University of Wollongong v Metwally (No 2) [1985] HCA 28; (1985) 59 ALJR 481 Vetter v Lake Macquarie City Council (2001) 202 CLR 439; [2001] HCA 12 Water Board v Moustakas (1988) 180 CLR 491; [1988] HCA 12 Woollams v The Minister (1957) 2 LGRA 338 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Mr Raymond Dibb (first appellant) Mrs Wendy Dibb (second appellant)