The Hills Shire Council v Suciu (No 3) [2009] NSWLEC 192

Land and Environment Court of New South Wales

CITATION : The Hills Shire Council v Suciu (No 3) [2009] NSWLEC 192

PROSECUTOR The Hills Shire Council PARTIES : DEFENDANT Petre Suciu

FILE NUMBER(S) : 50085 of 2008

CORAM: Pepper J

KEY ISSUES: ENVIRONMENTAL OFFENCES :- sentence – breach of s 143 of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 – dumping of unclean waste on private property without consent – ex parte hearing – harm to the environment – objective and subjective sentencing considerations – aggravating factors – appropriate penalty – costs

Criminal Procedure Act 1986 s 257B, 257G Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 s 3A, 21A, 23, 241 LEGISLATION CITED: Fines Act 1996 s 6 Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 s 3, 143, 245 Baulkham Hills Local Environmental Plan 2005

Axer Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority (1993) 113 LGERA 357 Bentley v BGP Properties Pty Ltd (2006) 145 LGERA 234 Camilleri's Stock Feeds Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority (1993) 32 NSWLR 683 Choices Manufacturing Pty Ltd v Fairfield City Council [2009] NSWLEC 72 Director-General of the Department of Environment and Climate Change v Rae [2009] NSWLEC 137 Environment Protection Authority v Gardner [1997] NSWLEC 169 Environment Protection Authority v Maraline Pty Ltd [1998] NSWLEC 198 Environment Protection Authority v Maraline Pty Ltd; Environment Protection Authority v Suciu (1998) 98 LGERA 330 Environment Protection Authority v Nechakoski (2002) 120 LGERA 426 Environment Protection Authority v Pannowitz; Environment Protection Authority v Steepleton Pty Limited [2005] NSWLEC 175 Environment Protection Authority v Peters [2006] NSWLEC 465 Garrett v Freeman (No 5) (2009) 164 LGERA 287 Garrett v Williams (2006) 160 LGERA 115 CASES CITED: Gittany Constructions Pty Ltd v Sutherland Shire Council (2006) 145 LGERA 189 Hawkesbury City Council v Johnson; Hawkesbury City Council v Johnson Property Group Pty Limited (No 2) [2009] NSWLEC 6 Hoare v The Queen (1989) 167 CLR 348 Markarian v The Queen (2005) 228 CLR 357 Pittwater Council v Scahill (2009) 165 LGERA 289 R v Boney (unreported, NSWCCA, 22 July 1991) R v Dodd (1991) 57 A Crim R 349 R v Hewitt [2007] NSWCCA 353 R v Nichols (1991) 57 A Crim R 391 The Hills Shire Council v Suciu (No 2) [2009] NSWLEC 168 The Hills Shire Council v Suciu [2009] NSWLEC 145 Veen v The Queen (1979) 143 CLR 458 Veen v The Queen (No 2) (1988) 164 CLR 465 Winters v Cross [1976] 1 NSWLR 616