Inspector Green v Big River Timbers Pty Limited; Inspector Green v Big River Timbers (Veneer) Pty Limited [2006] NSWIRComm 279

Industrial Court of New South Wales

CITATION: Inspector Green v Big River Timbers Pty Limited; Inspector Green v Big River Timbers (Veneer) Pty Limited [2006] NSWIRComm 279

APPELLANT Inspector Ritchie Green

PARTIES: FIRST RESPONDENT Big River Timbers Pty Limited

SECOND RESPONDENT Big River Timbers (Veneer) Pty Limited

FILE NUMBER(S): IRC 4016 and 4017 of 2005

CORAM: Wright J President; Walton J Vice-President; Staff J

CATCHWORDS: Appeal - Occupational health & safety - Application for leave to appeal and appeal from a decision of the Chief Industrial Magistrate - Prosecution - Guilty plea - Whether penalty imposed by Local Court was adequate - Leave to appeal granted - Penalty manifestly inadequate - Principles of totality discussed - Appeal upheld - Penalty imposed at first instance set aside - Respondent re-sentenced - No order as to costs

LEGISLATION CITED: Industrial Relations Act 1996 Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000

Camilleri's Stock Feeds Pty Limited v Environmental Protection Authority (1993) 32 NSWLR 683 Capral Aluminium v Workcover Authority of New South Wales (2000) 49 NSWLR 610 Haynes v C I & D Manufacturing Pty Limited (1995) 60 IR 149 House v King (1936) 55 CLR 499 Inspector Barry Childs v Kirk Group Holdings Pty Limited & Anor (2005) 137 IR 462 Inspector Bestre v T & Y Pty Ltd [2005] NSWIRComm 392 Inspector Green (WorkCover) v Metropolitan Administrative Services Pty Ltd [2005] NSWIRComm 12 Inspector Jones v Challita and Anor [2006] NSWIRComm 207 Inspector Sharpin v A Team Concrete (Aust) Pty Ltd & Ors [2004] NSWIRComm 182 CASES CITED: Inspector Yeung v Howie Herring & Forsyth Pty Limited & Anor [2005] NSWIRComm 266 Markarian v The Queen (2005) 215 ALR 213 Morrison v Powercoal Pty Ltd & Anor (No 3) (2005) 147 IR 117 O'Sullivan v The Crown in the Right of the State of New South Wales (Department of Education and Training) (2003) 128 IR 158 Pearce v The Queen (1998) 194 CLR 610 Postiglione v The Queen (1997) 189 CLR 295 Warman International Limited v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (1998) 80 IR 326 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales v Big River Timbers Pty Limited and anor CIM No 20101600/05/2, 20101933/05/2 and 20101941/05/2 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Buggy) v Weathertex Pty Limited (2003) 127 IR 60 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Petar Ankucic) v McDonald's Australia Ltd (2000) 95 IR 383 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Insp Robert Stobo) v State Rail Authority of New South Wales (2002) 115 IR 130