Gwandalan Summerland Point Action Group Inc v Minister for Planning [2009] NSWLEC 140

168 LGERA 269 Reported Decision : [2009] ALMD 5860 75 NSWLR 269

Land and Environment Court of New South Wales

CITATION : Gwandalan Summerland Point Action Group Inc v Minister for Planning [2009] NSWLEC 140

Gwandalan Summerland Point Action Group Inc (Applicant) PARTIES : Minister for Planning (First Respondent) Rose Property Group Pty Ltd (Second Respondent) Lakeside Living Pty Ltd (Third Respondent)

FILE NUMBER(S) : 41214 of 2008

CORAM: Lloyd J

JUDICIAL REVIEW :- decisions made by Minister for Planning - rezoning of land - concept plan approval - project approval - apprehended bias - irrelevant considerations - pre-existing agreements entered by Minister requiring him to use reasonable endeavours to implement an environmental land offset scheme, approve proposed land rezoning and approve a concept plan KEY ISSUES: BIAS :- apprehended bias - test for - Minister of the Crown - decisions were administrative and not made in the exercise of political functions - actions of Minister and pre-existing agreements with developers regarding environmental land offset scheme held to give rise to reasonable apprehension of bias

LEGISLATION CITED: Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 Pt 3A s 75A, s 75B, s 75D, s 75E, s 75F, s 75G, s 75H, s 75I, s 75J, s 75M, s 75N, s 75O and s 75R, Pt 4 Div 6 and Div 6A State Environmental Planning Policy (Major Projects) 2005 Sch 2 cl 1(1)(i)

Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Pty Ltd v The Commonwealth (1977) 139 CLR 54 CREEDNZ Inc v Governor-General [1981] 1 NZLR 172 Ebner v Official Trustee in Bankruptcy [2000] HCA 63; (2000) 205 CLR 337 F & D Bonaccorso Pty Ltd v City of Canada Bay Council (No. 2) [2007] NSWLEC 537; (2007) 158 LGERA 250 Franklin v Minister of Town and Country Planning [1948] AC 87 Hot Holdings Pty Ltd v Creasy [2002] HCA 51; (2002) 210 CLR 438 Johnson v Johnson [2000] HCA 48; (2000) 201 CLR 488 Laws v Australian Broadcasting Tribunal (1990) 170 CLR 70 Livesey v New South Wales Bar Association (1983) 151 CLR 288 Lower Hutt City Council v Bank [1974] 1 NZLR 545 Lu v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs [2004] FCAFC 340; (2004) 141 FCR 346 CASES CITED: McGovern v Ku-ring-gai Council [2008] NSWCA 209; (2008) 161 LGERA 170; (2008) 251 ALR 558 Mid Western Community Action Group Inc v Mid- Western Regional Council (No. 2) [2008] NSWLEC 143 Minister for Aboriginal Affairs v Peko Wallsend Ltd (1986) 162 CLR 24 Minister for Immigration & Multicultural Affairs v Jia Legeng [2001] HCA 17; (2001) 205 CLR 507 Old St Boniface Residents' Association Inc v City of Winnipeg [1990] 3 SCR 1170 R v Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission; Ex parte Angliss Group (1969) 122 CLR 546 R v Corporation of the City of Marion; Ex parte Independent Grocers Co-operative Ltd (No. 2) (1984) 37 SASR 436; (1984) 59 LGERA 244 Re MacTiernan; Ex parte Coogee Coastal Action Coalition Inc [2004] WASC 264 Re MacTiernan; Ex parte Coogee Coastal Action Coalition Inc [2005] WASCA 109; (2005) 30 WAR 138 South Australia v O'Shea (1987) 163 CLR 378 Webb v The Queen (1994) 181 CLR 41 Williams v Director General of the Department of Environment and Conservation [2004] NSWLEC 613