Gough & Gilmour Holdings Pty Ltd and ors v Caterpillar of Australia Ltd and anor (No. 15) [2003] NSWIRComm 173

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales in Court Session

CITATION : Gough & Gilmour Holdings Pty Ltd and ors v Caterpillar of Australia Ltd and anor (No. 15) [2003] NSWIRComm 173 FIRST APPLICANT Gough & Gilmour Holdings Pty Ltd

SECOND APPLICANT Harcourt David Gough

THIRD APPLICANT Anthony Lansley Gilmour

PARTIES : FIRST RESPONDENT Caterpillar of Australia Limited

SECOND RESPONDENT Caterpillar Inc.

THIRD RESPONDENT Caterpillar SARL

FOURTH RESPONDENT Caterpillar Overseas Credit Corporation SA FILE NUMBER: IRC 5227 of 2000 CORAM: Boland J Unfair Contract - Primary relief under s 106 of the Industrial Relations Act 1996 refused - Whether leave should be granted to applicants to amend submissions for relief - Leave granted in-part - Whether alternative relief should be granted - Reasonable notice to terminate dealership agreements - Sale process - Orders made CATCHWORDS : Practice and Procedure - Unfair Contract - Primary relief under s 106 of the Industrial Relations Act 1996 refused - Whether leave should be granted to applicants to amend submissions for relief - Leave granted in-part - Whether alternative relief should be granted - Reasonable notice to terminate dealership agreements - Sale process - Orders made LEGISLATION CITED : Industrial Relations Act 1996 Industrial Relations Commission Rules 1996 Alghussein Establishment v Eton College [1988] 1 WLR 587 Anchor Butter Company Ltd v Tui Food Ltd & Ors [1997] 3 NZLR, 107 38 IPR 250 Attard v Bridges Financial Services [2000] NSWIRComm 242 Australian Blue Metal v Hughes [1963] AC 74 Avis v Australian Mutual Provident (1997) 111 IR 1 Avis v Australian Mutual Provident Society (Unreported, Schmidt J, CT 1310 of 1995, 21 December 1995) Balmain New Ferry Co Limited v Robertson (1906) 4 CLR 379 Beahan v Bush Boake Allen Australia Ltd (1999) 47 NSWLR 648, 93 IR 1 Boschetti v Carr [2000] WASC 228 Brooks v Wyatt (1994) 99 NTR 12 Bruce v AWB Ltd (2000) 100 IR 129 Campbell v Metway Leasing Limited (1998) ATPR 41-630 Canberra Star Motors Pty Limited v Chrysler Jeep Automotive Australia Pty Limited [1999] NSWIRComm 310 Carr v J A Berriman Pty Ltd (1953) 89 CLR 327 Central Exchange Ltd v Anaconda Nickel Ltd [2002] WASCA 94 Commonwealth Bank of Australia v Mehta (1991) 23 NSWLR 84 Crawford Fitting Co v Sydney Valve and Fitting Pty Ltd (1988) 14 NSWLR 438 Drinkwater v Caddyrack Pty Ltd (unreported, Young J SCNSW, 3970 of 1996, 25 September 1997) F F Seeley Nominees Pty Ltd v El Ar Initiations (UK) Ltd (No 2) (1990) 55 SASR 314 Futuris Industrial Products Pty Limited v Arrow Industries Pty Limited (unreported, Federal Court of Australia, Beaumont, Foster and Beazley JJ, No G611 of 1993, 18 April 1994) Futuris Industrial Products Pty Ltd v Arrow Industries Pty Ltd (unreported, Federal Court of Australia, Wilcox J, 22 July 1993) Gough and Gilmour Holdings Pty Ltd and Ors v Caterpillar of Australia Ltd (No 12) [2002] NSWIRComm 379 Gough and Gilmour Holdings Pty Ltd and Ors v Caterpillar of Australia Ltd (No 13) [2003] NSWIRComm 26 Gough and Gilmour Holdings Pty Ltd and Ors v Caterpillar of Australia Ltd and Ors (No 14) [2003] NSWIRComm 44 Gough and Gilmour Holdings Pty Ltd v Caterpillar of Australia Limited (No 11) [2002] NSWIRComm 354 Gough and Gilmour Holdings Pty Ltd v Caterpillar of Australia Ltd and Anor (No 9) [2001] NSWIRComm 260 Graham v Macquarie Bank Limited [2000] NSWIRComm 253 Heyman v Darwins Ltd [1942] AC 356 Hospital Products Limited v United States Surgical Corporation (1984) 156 CLR 41 Jager v Australian National Hotels Pty Limited (1998) 7 Tas R 437 CASES CITED : Kwong v Stone Microsystems (Aust) Pty Limited (1996) 82 IR 255 Laurinda Pty Ltd v Capalaba Shopping Centre Pty Ltd (1989) 166 CLR 623 Leotta v Public Transport Commission (NSW) (1976) 9 ALR 437 Macquarie Bank Limited v National Mutual Life Association of Australia Limited (1996) 40 NSWLR 543 Mercantile Mutual Insurance (Australia) Ltd v Farrington (1996) 44 NSWLR 634 Mersey Steel & Iron Co v Naylor, Benzon & Co (1884) 9 App Cas 434 Munro v Chubb Security Holdings Australia Limited [2000] NSWIRC 215 National Australia Bank Limited v Nobile (1991) 100 ALR 227 Nordby v Barclays Investment Service (1993) 53 IR 319 North v Television Corporation Ltd (1976) 11 ALR 599 O'Brien v Australian Native Landscapes Pty Limited (2001) 105 IR 409 Ogilvy & Mather (NZ) Ltd v Turner [1996] 1 NZLR 641 Paviour-Smith v National Mutual Life Association of Australasia Pty Limited (1999) 91 IR 8 Port Macquarie Golf Club Ltd v Stead (1996) 64 IR 53 Queensland v J L Holdings Pty Ltd (1997) 189 CLR 146 Quinn v Jack Chia (Australia) Limited [1992] 1 VR 567 Rankin v Marine Power International Pty Limited (2001) 107 IR 117 Ross T Smyth & Co Limited v TD Bailey Son & Co [1940] 3 All ER 60 Sawyer v Cutler Hammer Pty Limited [2001] NSWIRComm 144 Sheffield v Brambles Australia Limited [2002] NSWIRComm 3 Sheppard v Felt Textiles of Australia Limited (1931) 45 CLR 359 Shevill v The Builders' Licensing Board (1981-82) 149 CLR 620 Singh v Atombrook Ltd [1989] 1 All ER 385 Stenhouse Australia Ltd v Phillips [1974] AC 391 Sunbird Plaza Pty Ltd v Maloney (1989) 166 CLR 245 TCN Channel 9 Pty Limited v Antoniadis (1998) 44 NSWLR 682 The Commonwealth v Verwayen (1990) 170 CLR 394 Thiess Contractors Pty Limited v Placer (Granny Smith) Pty Limited [2000] WASCA 102 Virtue v NSW Department of Education & Training (1999) 91 IR 428 Westfield Holdings Limited v Adams (2001) 114 IR 241 Westfield v Helprin (1998) 82 IR 411 HEARING DATES: 03/25/2003; 03/27/2003; 03/28/2003 DATE OF JUDGMENT: 06/04/2003