Birdon Contracting Pty Ltd v Hawkesbury City Council [2009] NSWLEC 91

Reported Decision : 167 LGERA 178

Land and Environment Court of New South Wales

CITATION : Birdon Contracting Pty Ltd v Hawkesbury City Council [2009] NSWLEC 91

PARTIES : Birdon Contracting Pty Ltd (Applicant) Hawkesbury City Council (Respondent)

FILE NUMBER(S) : 10967 of 2008

CORAM: Lloyd J

APPEAL :- LOCAL GOVERNMENT: - appeal against council order to comply with condition of development consent - condition required payment of contributions under s 94 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act - construction of the condition - power of council to make order to rectify past breach of condition - power of council to make order requiring payment of money due under condition

KEY ISSUES: CONSTRUCTION AND INTERPRETATION :- s 14(1)(d) and s 15 of the Limitation Act 1969 - s 121B order not an "action" subject to limitation period - money due under development condition and s 121B order is not "recoverable by virtue of an enactment" - proceedings to recover money due under the development condition and s 121B order in question would not constitute an "action on a cause of action for an account"

DISCRETION :- consideration of prejudice to applicant caused by council's delay in making s 121B order

LEGISLATION CITED: Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 s 94, s 121B(1) Limitation Act 1969 s 14(1)(b), s 14(1)(d), s 15

Aylott v West Ham Corporation [1927] 1 Ch 30 Brisbane South Regional Health Authority v Taylor (1996) 186 CLR 541 Central Electricity Board v Halifax Corp [1963] AC 785 Ceric v C E Heath Underwriting & Insurance (Australia) Pty Ltd (1993) 91 NTR 26 at 32 Chan Yee Kin v Minister for Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs [1989] FCA 511 Daemar v Industrial Commission of New South Wales [No. 2] (1990) 22 NSWLR 178 Davis v Hueber (1923) 31 CLR 583 De Rossi v Walker (1902) 2 SR(NSW) 249 Do Carmo v Ford Excavations Pty Ltd (1984) 154 CLR 234 Dobinson v Lake Macquarie City Council (1994) 82 LGERA 16 CASES CITED: Frost v The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales [2000] NSWIRComm 70; (2000) 97 IR 461 J & J O'Brien Pty Ltd v South Sydney City Council [2002] NSWCA 259; (2002) 121 LGERA 223 King v Rossett (1827) 2 Y & J 33 [148 ER 820] North Eastern Railway Company v Martin (1848) 2 Ph 758 [41 ER 1136] Public Trustee v Schultz [1973] 1 NSWLR 564 R v Chong: Ex Parte Chong [1999] QCA 314; [2001] 2 Qd R 301 Rapid Metal Developments (Australia) Pty Ltd v Rosato [1971] Qd R 82 Re GDK Financial Solutions Pty Ltd [2006] FCA 1415; (2006) 236 ALR 699 Registrar-General v Cleaver (1996) 41 NSWLR 713 South Eastern Sydney Area Health Service v Gadiry [2002] NSWCA 161; (2002) 54 NSWLR 495 State Government Insurance Commission v Teal (1990) 2 WAR 105 Sullivan v Oil Company of Australia Ltd [2001] QCA 252; [2002] 2 Qd R 94