Stroud and Anor v CMZZJ Investments Pty Ltd [2025] NSWLEC 16

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Stroud and Anor v CMZZJ Investments Pty Ltd [2025] NSWLEC 16 Hearing dates: 10 July 2024 Date of orders: 05 March 2025 Decision date: 05 March 2025 Jurisdiction: Class 2 Before: Robson J Decision: See orders at [52] Catchwords: ENVIRONMENT AND PLANNING — Land and Environment Court — Practice and procedure — Tree dispute — Whether proceedings should be dismissed due to no reasonable cause of action in application under the Trees (Disputes Between Neighbours) Act 2006 (NSW) STATUTORY INTERPRETATION — s 4(4) of the Trees (Disputes Between Neighbours) Act 2006 (NSW) — Whether application can be brought after tree has been removed Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), s 56 Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW), s 34 Land and Environment Court Rules 2007 (NSW), r 3.7 Trees (Disputes Between Neighbours) Act 2006 (NSW), Pt 2, s 4 Trees (Disputes Between Neighbours) Amendment Act 2010 (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), rr 13.4, 14.28 Cases Cited: CIC Insurance Ltd v Bankstown Football Club Ltd (1997) 187 CLR 384; [1997] HCA 2 Daley v Murray [2015] NSWLEC 1489 Dennis v Australian Broadcasting Corporation [2008] NSWCA 37 General Steel Industries Inc v Commissioner for Railways (NSW) (1964) 112 CLR 125; [1964] HCA 69 Gennusa v Dangerfield [2015] NSWLEC 1194 Hinidza v Land and Housing Corporation [2016] NSWLEC 1055 Project Blue Sky Inc v Australian Broadcasting Authority (1998) 194 CLR 355; [1998] HCA 28 Robson v Leischke (2008) 72 NSWLR 98; [2008] NSWLEC 152 Shaw v State of New South Wales [2012] NSWCA 102; (2012) 219 IR 87 Sydney Seaplanes Pty Ltd v Page (2021) 106 NSWLR 1; [2021] NSWCA 204 SZTAL v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection; SZTGM v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (2017) 262 CLR 362; [2017] HCA 34 Thiess v Collector of Customs (2014) 250 CLR 664; [2014] HCA 12 Wickstead v Browne (1992) 30 NSWLR 1; [1992] NSWCA 272 Texts Cited: D C Pearce & R S Geddes, Statutory Interpretation in Australia, (10th ed, 2024) Category: Principal judgment Parties: John Stroud (Second Respondent on the motion) Karine Akbar (First Respondent on the motion) CMZZJ Investments Pty Ltd (ACN 615 027 391) (Applicant on the motion) Representation: Counsel: M Hickey, solicitor (Respondents on the motion) M Seymour SC with A Hannam (Applicant on the motion)