Hynes v General Manager, Hawkesbury CIty Council [2004] NSWADT 135

CITATION: Hynes v General Manager, Hawkesbury CIty Council [2004] NSWADT 135 DIVISION: General Division APPLICANT PARTIES: William Desmond Hynes RESPONDENT General Manager, Hawkesbury City Council FILE NUMBER: 033187 HEARING DATES: 13/02/2004 SUBMISSIONS CLOSED: 02/13/2004 DATE OF DECISION: 07/08/2004

BEFORE: Higgins S - Judicial Member APPLICATION: access to documents - business affairs - access to documents - legal professional privilege - Freedom of Information Act - access to documents - business affairs - Freedom of Information Act - access to documents - legal professional privilege MATTER FOR DECISION: Principal matter Administrative Decisions Tribunal Act 1997 LEGISLATION CITED : Evidence Act 1995 Freedom of Information Act 1989 Local Government Act 1993 Abigroup Ltd v Akins (1997) 42 NSWLR 623 Adelaide Steamship Co Ltd v Spalvins (1998) 81 FCR 360 Amploex Ltd v Perpetual Trustees Co (Canberra) Ltd and Ors (1996) 137 ALR 28 Ampolex Ltd v Perpetual Trustee Co (Canberra) Ltd (1995) 37 NSWLR 405 Attorney General (NT) v Maurice (1986) 161 CLR 475 Baker v Campbell (1983) 153 CLR 52 British Coal Corp v Dennis Ryde Ltd (No 2) [1988] 3 All ER 816 BT Australasia Pty Ltd v New South Wales (No 7)(1998) 153 ALR 722 Chadwick v Bowman (1886) 16 QBD 561 Ciesielski v Broadway Shopping Centre Pty Ltd [2000] NSWADT 25 Commissioner of Australian Federal Police v Propend Finance Pty Ltd (1997) 188 CLR 501 Complete Technology Pty Ltd v Toshiba (Australia) Pty Ltd (1994) 53 FCR 125 Dingwell v Commonwealth (1992) 107 FLR 143 at 150 Esso Australia Resources Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation (1999) 201 CLR 49 and (1999) 168 ALR 123 Goldberg v Ng (1995) 185 CLR 83 Goldberg v Ng (1996) 185 CLR 83 CASES CITED: Grant v Downs (1976) 135 CLR 674 Infields Ltd v Rosen & Son [1938] 3 All ER 591. Johnston v Director General, Department of Housing [2003] NSWADT 125 Lake Cumbeline Pty Ltd and Ors v Effem Foods Pty Ltd (1994) 126 ALR 58 Mangoplah Pastoral Co Pty Ltd v Great Southern Energy [1999] NSWADT 93 Mann v Carnell (1999) 201 CLR 1 O'Sullivan v Morton [1911] VLR 70 Packer v DCT (2001) 179 ALR 462 Prus-Grzybowski v Everingham (1986) 44 NTR 7 R v King [1983] 1 All ER 929 Re Saxon and Australian Maritime Authority (unreported, AAT, Cth, 19 June 1995 ) Schlebaum (No.3) v Director-General, Department of Community Services & Anor [2002] NSWADT 128 South Australia v Peat Marwick Mitchell (1995) 65 SASR 72 Southwark Water Co v Quick (1878) 3QBD 315 State Bank of South Australia v Smoothdale (No 2) Ltd (1995) 64 SASR 224 The Daniels Corporation International Pty Ltd v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission [2002] HCA 49 Trade Practices Commission v Sterling (1979) 36 FLR 244 Woollahra Municipal Council v Westpac Banking Corp (1994) 33 NSWLR 529 APPLICANT REPRESENTATION: S Berveling, barrister RESPONDENT A Galasso, barrister ORDERS: The Tribunal orders:; a)The deemed decision of Council to refuse Mr Hynes access to the following documents is affirmed:; Documents held by Council; 39, 40, 42, 44A (to the extent that the document contains handwriting on it), 45, 46, 49, 53, 63A, 64, 66 (cover letter only) ; Documents held by Abbot Tout; 4, 5, 6, 7 (fax cover sheet and letter of 6 February 2002), 8, 9, 11, 15, 16, 20, 22, 24, 25, 26, 28, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 49, 45, 46, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 59, 63, 71, 72, 73, 83, 86, 87, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 99, 103, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 114, 115, 116, 119, 124, 125, 126, 129, 130, 135, 136, 137, 139, 151, 152, 153, 154, 156, 157, 162 (fax cover sheet only), 164 (fax cover sheet only), 166, 167, 171, 172, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 181 (fax cover sheet only), 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189, 190, 195, 197, 198, 204, 205, 207, 208, 209, 214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 219, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 229A, 230 (fax cover sheet only), 237, 238, 239, 240, 241, 242, 243, 250, 257, 261, 262, 263, 265, 267, 268, 269, 270, 271, 272 (fax cover sheet only) and 276. ; b)The deemed decision of Council to refuse Mr Hynes access to the following documents is set aside:; Documents held by Council; 30, 33, 34, 37, 39A, 32A, 33A, 37A, 37B, 38A, 39, 41, 43, 46, 50, 51, 52, 54, 55, 56, 57, 61, 62, 67, 68 and 69 ; Documents held by Abbot Tout; 1, 2, 3, 10, 12, 13, 17, 19, 23, 30, 31, 34, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 47, 50, 52, 61, 62, 64, 68, 70, 74, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 88, 95, 96, 101, 102, 104, 107, 113, 118, 123, 128, 132, 133, 134, 140, 141, 142, 144, 148, 150, 158, 168, 169, 170, 179, 194, 196, 161, 173, 180, 192, 201, 202, 211, 212, 213, 226, 227, 228, 229B, 231, 232, 234, 235, 236, 251, 252, 253, 254, 259 (cover letter only), 264, 266, 277, 278, 279, 280, 281 and 282.; c)The deemed decision of Council to refuse Mr Hynes access to the following documents is remitted to Council for reconsideration pursuant to s.65(1) of the Administrative Decisions Tribunal Act 1997: ; Documents held by Council; 30A, 31A, 34A, 41A, 50A, 52A, 54A, 55A, 56A, 62A, 67A, 68A and 69A ; Documents held by Abbot Tout; 52, 117, 127, 131, 133, 138, 143, 145, 160, 169, 193, 199, 200, 203, 220, 226, 227, 235, 244, 245, 246, 247, 248, 251, 252, 253, 255, 256, 258, 259 (invoice only), 264, 266 and 275; AND any other document that is not referred to in this paragraph or paragraph (a) and (b) above.; d) Council to provide Mr Hynes with a copy of the documents referred to in paragraph (b) above within 28 days, subject to any fees that may be payable by Mr Hynes under the FOI Act.; e) Council to advise Mr Hynes of its determination in respect of the documents referred to in (c) above within 21 days.; f) Application to be set down for further directions, in respect of the outstanding matters referred to in paragraph (e) above, on a date suitable to both parties and as arranged by Registry.