Director-General, Department of Environment Climate Change and Water v Vin Heffernan Pty Limited [2010] NSWLEC 200

Land and Environment Court of New South Wales

CITATION : Director-General, Department of Environment Climate Change and Water v Vin Heffernan Pty Limited [2010] NSWLEC 200

PROSECUTOR Director-General, Department of Environment Climate Change and Water PARTIES : DEFENDANT Vin Heffernan Pty Limited

FILE NUMBER(S) : 50007 of 2010

CORAM: Pepper J

KEY ISSUES: ENVIRONMENTAL OFFENCES :- unlawful clearing of native vegetation - plea of guilty - appropriate sentence - subjective and objective factors to be considered - assistance given by the defendant to authorities in separate but related criminal proceedings - monetary penalty imposed

LEGISLATION CITED: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 ss 3A, 21A, 23 Native Vegetation Act 2003 s 12

Axer Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority (1993) 113 LGERA 357 Bentley v BGP Properties Pty Ltd [2006] NSWLEC 34; (2006) 145 LGERA 234 Cabonne Shire Council v Environment Protection Authority [2001] NSWCCA 280; (2001) 115 LGERA 304 Camilleri's Stock Feeds Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority (1993) 32 NSWLR 683 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, Department of Environment and Climate Change v Hudson [2009] NSWLEC 4; (2009) 165 LGERA 256 Director-General, Department of Environment and Climate Change v Mura [2009] NSWLEC 233 Director-General, Department of Environment and Climate Change v Rae [2009] NSWLEC 137; (2009) 168 LGERA 121 Director-General, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water v Ian Colley Earthmoving Pty Ltd [2010] NSWLEC 102 Environment Protection Authority v Barnes [2006] NSWCCA 246 Garrett v Freeman (No 5) [2009] NSWLEC 1; (2009) 164 LGERA 287 CASES CITED: Gittany Constructions Pty Ltd v Sutherland Shire Council [2006] NSWLEC 242; (2006) 145 LGERA 189 Hardt v Environment Protection Authority [2007] NSWCCA 338; (2007) 156 LGERA 337 Hawkesbury City Council v Johnson; Hawkesbury City Council v Johnson Property Group Pty Limited (No 2) [2009] NSWLEC 6 Hoare v The Queen [1989] HCA 33; (1989) 167 CLR 348 Markarian v The Queen [2005] HCA 25; (2005) 228 CLR 357 Pittwater Council v Scahill [2009] NSWLEC 12; (2009) 165 LGERA 289 R v Borkowski [2009] NSWCCA 102; (2009) 195 A Crim R 1 R v Gallagher (1991) 23 NSWLR 220 R v Thomson; R v Houlton [2000] NSWCCA 309; (2000) 49 NSWLR 383 R v Stelfox [2002] NSWCCA 331; (2002) 133 A Crim R 288 Thomson v Hawkesbury City Council [2009] NSWLEC 151 Veen v The Queen (No 2) [1988] HCA 14; (1988) 164 CLR 465