Director General, Department of the Environment, Climate Change and Water v Ian Colley Earthmoving Pty Ltd [2010] NSWLEC 102

Land and Environment Court of New South Wales

CITATION : Director General, Department of the Environment, Climate Change and Water v Ian Colley Earthmoving Pty Ltd [2010] NSWLEC 102

PROSECUTOR PARTIES : Director General, Department of the Environment, Climate Change and Water DEFENDANT Ian Colley Earthmoving Pty Ltd

FILE NUMBER(S) : 50072 of 2009

CORAM: Pain J

KEY ISSUES: PROSECUTION :- sentencing - contractor cleared trees on instruction of landowner - landowner not prosecuted - early guilty plea - significant short term environmental harm as endangered ecological community cleared selectively - whether s10A(1) order of conviction without penalty appropriate - mitigating circumstances - capacity to pay a substantial fine considered

Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 s 3A, 10A, 21A, 22 Criminal Procedure Act 1986 s 257G Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 s 125, 126(1) Fines Act 1996 s 6 LEGISLATION CITED: Local Government Act 1993 National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 s 118A Native Vegetation Act 2003 s 3, 11, 12, 19, 26, 36 Native Vegetation Regulation 2005 cl 20 Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 Schedule 2 Blue Mountains Local Environmental Plan 1991

Axer Pty Ltd v Environmental Protection Authority (1993) 113 LGERA 357 Bentley v BGP Properties Pty Ltd [2006] NSWLEC 34; (2006) 145 LGERA 234 Blue Mountains City Council v Carlon [2008] NSWLEC 296 Blue Mountains Council v Tzannes [2009] NSWLEC 19 Camilleri's Stock Feeds Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority (1993) 32 NSWLR 683 Department of Environment & Climate Change v Sommerville; Department of Environment & Climate Change v Ianna [2009] NSWLEC 194 Director–General, Department of Environment and Climate Change v Calman Australia Pty Ltd; Iroch Pty Ltd; GD & JA Williams Pty Ltd t-as Jerilderie Earthmoving [2009] NSWLEC 182 Director-General of the Department of Environment and Climate Change v Hudson [2009] NSWLEC 4; (2009) 165 LGERA 256 Director-General of the Department of Environment and Climate Change v Rae [2009] NSWLEC 137; (2009) 168 LGERA 121 Director-General of the Department of Environment and Climate Change v Taylor [2007] NSWLEC 530 CASES CITED: Director General of the Department of the Environment and Climate Change v Wilton [2008] NSWLEC 297 Environment Protection Authority v Barnes [2006] NSWCCA 246 Garrett v Freeman (No. 5) [2009] NSWLEC 1; (2009) 164 LGERA 287 Gittany Constructions Pty Ltd v Sutherland Shire Council [2006] NSWLEC 242; (2006) 145 LGERA 189 Hoare v R [1989] HCA 33; (1989) 167 CLR 348 Pittwater Council v Scahill [2009] NSWLEC 12; (2009) 165 LGERA 289 R v Olbrich [1999] HCA 54; (1999) CLR 270 R v Rahme (1989) 43 A Crim R 81 R v Rushby [1977] 1 NSWLR 594 R v Sharma [2002] NSWCCA 142; (2002) 54 NSWLR 300 R v Thomson; R v Houlton [2000] NSWCCA 309; (2000) 49 NSWLR 383