Country Energy v Malone [2005] NSWIRComm 78

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales in Court Session

CITATION: Country Energy v Malone [2005] NSWIRComm 78

APPELLANT: Country Energy PARTIES: RESPONDENT: Inspector Barry Malone

FILE NUMBER(S): IRC 6863 of 2003

CORAM: Wright J President; Boland J; Staff J

CATCHWORDS: Appeal - Occupational health and safety - Whether successor electricity corporation liable for breaches of OHS Act alleged to have been committed by predecessor - Appeal from interlocutory decision of trial judge - Whether appeal lies - Declaratory relief - Whether declaration should be granted if decision of trial judge wrong - Discretion - Held, that appeal incompetent - Held further, that declaration should be made.

Criminal Appeal Act 1912 s 5F Electricity Supply Act 1995 s 84 s 85 Electricity Supply (Country Energy) Regulation 2001 cl 5 Energy Services Corporations Act 1995 s 7 s 12 s 13 s 14 s 15 Energy Services Corporations (Country Energy) Regulation 2001 Energy Services Corporations (Dissolution of Energy Distributors) Regulation 2001 cl 7 LEGISLATION CITED: Industrial Relations Act 1996 s 154 s 196 Occupational Health and Safety Act 1983 s 15 Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 s 118 s 119 s 123 Public Health Act 1875 (UK) s 310 State Owned Corporations Act 1989 s 20A

Adams v National Bank of Greece [1961] AC 255 Centro Latino Americano de Commercio Exterior S.A. v Owners of the Ship "Kommunar" (the "Kommunar") (No. 2) [1997] 1 Lloyd's Law Reports 8 Corporation of Hyde v Bank of England (1882) 21 Ch D 176 Director of Public Prosecutions v His Honour Judge G. D. Lewis and Anor [1997] 1 VR 391 Inspector Barry Malone v Country Energy [2003] NSWIRComm 369 Inspector Belley v Freight Rail Corporation [2004] NSWIRComm 281 Morrison v Joy Manufacturing Co Pty Ltd [2004] NSWIRComm 107 CASES CITED: National Bank of Greece and Athens S.A. v Metliss [1958] AC 509 Roads Corporation v Gerkens (1993) 6 VAR 636 Sankey v Whitlam (1978) 142 CLR 1 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Belley) v Freight Rail Corporation (2002) 117 IR 99 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Belley) v Rail Infrastructure Corporation (2001) 111 IR 442 WorkCover Authority (NSW) (Inspector Gilbert) v Energy Australia - formerly Sydney Electricity (1998) 85 IR 99 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Rech) v Sydney Market Authority (1997) 82 IR 134