Hawkesbury City Council v Johnson; Hawkesbury City Council v Johnson Property Group Pty Limited (No 2) [2009] NSWLEC 6

Land and Environment Court of New South Wales

CITATION : Hawkesbury City Council v Johnson; Hawkesbury City Council v Johnson Property Group Pty Limited (No 2) [2009] NSWLEC 6

PROSECUTOR PARTIES : Hawkesbury City Council DEFENDANTS Keith Norman Johnson; Johnson Property Group Pty Limited

FILE NUMBER(S) : 50027 of 2007; 50029 of 2007

CORAM: Pain J

PROSECUTION :- sentence - defendants convicted of tree clearing in contravention of s 125(1) Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 - objective circumstances of offence - whether there was a belief in mistake of law and whether a mitigating circumstance - whether defendants engaged in subterfuge to hide offence - whether aggravating factors KEY ISSUES: Prosecution :- sentence - subjective factors - whether sufficient evidence of remorse from individual defendant where no direct evidence - whether evidence of remorse by corporate defendant

Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 s 3A, s 21A Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 s 125(1) LEGISLATION CITED: Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 Evidence Act 1995 s 60, s 72, s 143 Hawkesbury Local Environmental Plan 1989 State Environmental Planning Policy (Major Projects) Amendment (Pitt Town) 2008

Bentley v BGP Properties Pty Ltd (2006) 145 LGERA 234 Bentley v Gordon [2005] NSWLEC 695 Blue Mountains City Council v Carlon [2008] NSWLEC 296 Byron Shire Council v Fletcher (2005) 143 LGERA 155 Cameron v Eurobodalla Shire Council (2006) 146 LGERA 349 Camilleri's Stock Feeds Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority (1993) 32 NSWLR 683 Cooper v Coffs Harbour City Council (1997) 97 LGERA 124 Council of Camden v Poyntz [2007] NSWLEC 439 Council of the City of Gosford v Tauszik [2005] NSWLEC 266 CTM v The Queen (2008) 82 ALJR 978 EPA v Barnes [2006] NSWCCA 246 EPA v Gardner [1997] NSWLEC 169 Environment Protection Authority v Brazel (No 3) (2002) 121 LGERA 156 Garrett v House [2006] NSWLEC 492 Garrett v Williams (2008) 160 LGERA 115 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 [2008] NSWLEC 138 Holroyd City Council v El-Khouri [2008] NSWLEC 83 Hornsby Shire Council v Devaney [2007] NSWLEC 199 Hornsby Shire Council v Moit [2001] NSWLEC 50 Johnson v The Queen (2004) 78 ALJR 616 Laurentiu v Becheru (1992) 63 A Crim R 402 Lowe v The Queen (1984) 154 CLR 606 CASES CITED: Manly Council v Taheri [2008] NSWLEC 314 Markarian v The Queen (2005) 79 ALJR 1048 Minister for Environment and Heritage v Greentree (No 3) (2004) 136 LGERA 89 Mosman Municipal Council v Menai Excavations Pty Ltd (2002) 122 LGERA 89 Mosman Municipal Council v Toltz [2002] NSWLEC 175 Newcastle City Council v Pepperwood Ridge (2004) 132 LGERA 388 Papakosmos v the Queen (1999) 196 CLR 297 R v Elfar [2003] NSWCCA 358 R v Henry (1999) 46 NSWLR 346 R v McGourty [2002] NSWCCA 335 R v Melbourne (1999) 198 CLR 1 R v Morabit (1992) 62 A Crim R 82 R v Olbrich (1999) 199 CLR 270 R v Qutami [2001] 127 A Crim R 369 R v Rogers (1994) 181 CLR 251 R v Tait and Bartley (1979) 24 ALR 473 R v Way (2004) 60 NSWLR 168 Rogers v The Queen (1994) 181 CLR 251 Ryan v The Queen (2001) 206 CLR 267 Subramaniam v Public Prosecutor (1956) 1 WLR 965 Tesco Supermarkets Ltd v Nattrass [1972] AC 153 The Queen v Carroll (2002) 213 CLR 635 The Queen v Storey (1978) 140 CLR 364 Thorneloe v Filipowski (2001) 52 NSWLR 60