Port Macquarie – Hastings Council v Lawlor Services Pty Limited; Port Macquarie – Hastings Council v Petro (No 6) [2007] NSWLEC 567

Land and Environment Court of New South Wales

CITATION : Port Macquarie – Hastings Council v Lawlor Services Pty Limited; Port Macquarie – Hastings Council v Petro (No 6) [2007] NSWLEC 567

PROSECUTOR Port Macquarie – Hastings Council PARTIES : FIRST DEFENDANT Lawlor Services Pty Limited SECOND DEFENDANT Edmund Petro

FILE NUMBER(S) : 50031 of 2006; 50006 of 2007

CORAM: Pain J

Prosecution :- whether trees destroyed in breach of Tree Preservation Order - whether clearing activity in accordance with permit being a Harvest Management Plan - whether continuing use rights existed to activity the subject of the charge under s109(1)

KEY ISSUES: Prosecution: - joint criminal enterprise - whether a defendant criminally liable for acts of bulldozer driver who was not charged

Prosecution: - whether defendant company/landowner guilty for acts of other defendant because he was "heart and mind" of the defendant company

Clean Waters Act 1970 s 16(1) Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 s 109, s 125 LEGISLATION CITED: Evidence Act 1995 s 78, s 128 Hastings Local Environmental Plan 2001 cl 20, Dictionary Native Vegetation and Conservation Act 1997

Avel Pty Ltd v Multicoin Amusements Pty Ltd (1990) 171 CLR 88; Chamwell Pty Ltd v Strathfield Council [2007] NSWLEC 114; Commercial Union Assurance Company of Australia v Ferrcom Pty Ltd (1991) 22 NSWLR 38; Director-General of Department of Land and Water Conservation v Greentree & Anor [2002] NSWLEC 102; Director of Public Prosecutions v United Telecasters Sydney Limited (1989 -1990) 168 CLR 594; Environmental Protection Authority v Caltex (1993) 118 ALR 392 ; Giorgianni v R (1984 -1985) 156 CLR 473; Lemworth Pty Limited v Liverpool City Council (2001) 117 LGERA 305; Lloyd v Snooks (1997) 94 A Crim R 314; Lloyd v Snooks (1999) 153 FLR 339; Makita (Australia) Pty Ltd v Sprowles (2001) 52 NSWLR 705; CASES CITED: McAuliffe v R (1995) 183 CLR 108; Mosman Municipal Council v Waratah Village Partners Pty Ltd [2002] NSWLEC 184; Osland v R (1998) 159 ALR 170; Port Macquarie – Hastings Council v Lawlor Services Pty Limited; Port Macquarie – Hastings Council v Petro (No 5) [2007] NSWLEC 362; Power v Penthill House Pty Ltd (1993) 80 LGERA 247; R v Tangye (1997) 92 A Crim R 545; R v Taufahema, (2007) 234 ALR 1; Royal Agricultural Society of NSW v Sydney City Council (1987) 61 LGRA 305; Shepherd v The Queen (1990) 170 CLR 573; Shire of Perth v O'Keefe [1964] 110 CLR 529 at 535; Tesco Supermarkets Ltd v Nattrass [1972] AC 153; Tiger Nominees Pty Ltd v State Pollution Control Commission (1992) 75 LGRA 71; Vaughan-Taylor v David Mitchell-Melcann Pty Ltd (1991) 73 LGRA 366