Gill v Liverpool City Council; Beningna Pty Ltd v Liverpool City Council [2024] NSWLEC 133

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Gill v Liverpool City Council; Beningna Pty Ltd v Liverpool City Council [2024] NSWLEC 133 Hearing dates: 3 December 2024 Date of orders: 3 December 2024 Decision date: 06 December 2024 Jurisdiction: Class 4 Before: Pepper J Decision: See orders at [77]. Catchwords: PROCEDURE: joinder of corporate entity as respondent to compulsory acquisition proceedings – putative respondent deemed to have accepted compensation offered by Valuer-General – effect of deemed acceptance on compensation being claimed by applicants - basis of power of Court to order joinder – whether statutory discretion permissive or a power coupled with a duty – whether upon the Court being satisfied that a person who claims to have had or who may have had an interest in the subject land as at the date of acquisition the Court must join that person as a party – third party had an interest in fee simple in the land as at the date of the acquisition – joinder ordered. STATUTORY INTERPRETATION: whether properly construed the words "may order" in a statutory power permitting the Court to join additional parties to the proceedings gives rise to a permissive discretion or whether it gives rise to a power coupled with a duty – applicable principles of construction – power coupled with a duty. Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005, ss 3, 56, 90 Interpretation Act 1987, ss 6, 9 Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act 1991, ss 3, 42, 45, 54, 55, 56, 65, 66 Land and Environment Court Act 1979, ss, 22, 24, 25 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005, rr 6.24, 6.25, 36.1 Cases Cited: Brisbane South Regional Health Authority v Taylor [1996] HCA 25; (1996) 186 CLR 541 Cain v New South Wales Land and Housing Corporation [2014] NSWCA 28; (2014) 86 NSWLR 1 Ex parte McGavin; Re Berne (1945) 46 SR (NSW) 58 Forrest v Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) [2020] NSWCA 162 Hogan v Australian Crime Commission [2010] HCA 21; (2010) 240 CLR 651 John Alexander's Clubs Pty Ltd v White City Tennis Club Ltd [2010] HCA 19; (2010) 241 CLR 1 John Cooke & Co Pty Ltd v Commonwealth [1922] HCA 60; (1922) 31 CLR 394 Julius v Lord Bishop of Oxford (1880) 5 App Cas 214 Lamb v Moss [1983] FCA 264; (1983) 76 FLR 296 Leach v The Queen [2007] HCA 3; (2007) 230 CLR 1 Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs v EVE21 [2023] FCA 91; (2023) 298 FCR 57 Mitchell v The Queen [1996] HCA 45; (1996) 184 CLR 333 Montgomery v Foy, Morgan & Co [1895] 2 QB 321 Newmarch v Atkinson [1918] HCA 53; (1918) 25 CLR 381 Olde English Tiles Australia Pty Ltd v Transport for New South Wales [2022] NSWCA 108; (2022) 108 NSWLR 503 Rosenbaum v Minister for Public Works [1965] HCA 65; (1965) 114 CLR 424 Ross v Lane Cove Council [2014] NSWCA 50; (2014) 86 NSWLR 34 Samad v District Court of New South Wales [2002] HCA 24; (2002) 209 CLR 140 Ward v Williams [1955] HCA 4; (1955) 92 CLR 496 Texts Cited: Perry Herzfeld and Thomas Prince, Interpretation (3rd ed, Lawbook Co, 2024) DC Pearce, Statutory Interpretation in Australia (10th ed, LexisNexis, 2024) Category: Procedural rulings Parties: Dennis Gill (First Applicant) Resup Pty Ltd (Second Applicant) Mernew Pty Ltd (Third Applicant) Beningna Pty Ltd (Applicant)