WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Mulder) v Yass Shire Council [2000] NSWIRComm 57

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales in Court Session

CITATION : WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Mulder) v Yass Shire Council [2000] NSWIRComm 57 PROSECUTOR PARTIES : WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Angela Mulder) DEFENDANT Yass Shire Council FILE NUMBER: IRC1609 & IRC1610 of 1999 CORAM: Wright J President CATCHWORDS : Occupational health and safety - Prosecutions under s 15(1) of the OH&S Act - Plea of guilty - Local government - Serious amputation accident - Circumstances of alleged breaches of safety - Principles applicable to sentencing under the OH&S Act - Gravity of offences - Approach to be adopted in relation to early plea of guilt - Significance of contrition - Acts demonstrating contrition - Approach required by Pearce v The Queen - Totality - Defendant convicted - Fines imposed. LEGISLATION CITED : Fines Act 1996 (NSW) s 6 Occupational Health and Safety Act 1983 (NSW) s 15(1) s 49A Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Australian Safeway Stores Pty Ltd & Ors (1997) 145 ALR 36 Burnie Port Authority v General Jones Pty Ltd (1994) 179 CLR 520 Camilleri's Stockfeeds Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority (1993) 32 NSWLR 683 Carrington Slipways Pty Ltd v Callaghan (1985) 11 IR 467 Corinthian Industries (Sydney) Pty Limited v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Wilson) [2000] NSWIRComm 46 Ferguson v Nelmac Pty Ltd (1999) 92 IR 188 Kondis v State Transport Authority (1984) 154 CLR 672 Mill v The Queen (1988) 166 CLR 59 Northern Sandblasting Pty Ltd v Harris (1997) 188 CLR 313 Page v Walco Hoist Rentals Pty Ltd (No.2) [2000] NSWIRComm 39 CASES CITED : Pearce v The Queen (1998) 194 CLR 610 R v Holder [1983] 3 NSWLR 245 R v Winchester (1992) 58 A Crim R 345 Tyler v Sydney Electricity (1993) 47 IR 1 Warman International Limited v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (1988) 80 IR 326 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Egan) v Atco Controls Pty Limited (1998) 82 IR 80 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Hannah) v Albury City Council (1999) 90 IR 397 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Keenan) v The Crown in Right of the State of State of New South Wales (unreported, Schmidt J, Matter Nos IRC98/598 and 601, 6 December 1999) WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Milligan) v State Rail Authority of New South Wales (unreported, Kavanagh J, Matter Nos IRC97/7032-7036, 13 October 1999) WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Tyler) v Abigroup Contractors Pty Ltd [2000] NSWIRComm 40 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales v Waugh (1995) 59 IR 89 HEARING DATES: 12/02/1999; 04/18/2000 DATE OF JUDGMENT: 04/20/2000