Pittwater Council v Scahill [2009] NSWLEC 12

Reported Decision : (2009) 165 LGERA 289

Land and Environment Court of New South Wales

CITATION : Pittwater Council v Scahill [2009] NSWLEC 12

PROSECUTOR Pittwater Council PARTIES : DEFENDANT Stephen Scahill

FILE NUMBER(S) : 50053 of 2008

CORAM: Preston CJ

PROSECUTION :- cutting down of trees without development consent - sentence - trees part of endangered ecological community - offender an arborist - offence committed in reckless disregard for whether lawful or not - offence committed to earn a fee - subjective circumstances of offender - offender's limited capacity to pay. KEY ISSUES: Trees: - cutting down of trees without development consent - offence - sentence - trees part of endangered ecological community - offender an arborist - offence committed in reckless disregard for whether lawful or not - offence committed to earn a fee - subjective circumstances of offender - offender's limited capacity to pay.

Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 s 3A, 10, 17, 21A, 22, 23 LEGISLATION CITED: Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 s 125, 126 Fines Act 1996 s 6 Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (NSW)

Axer Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority (1993) 113 LGERA 357 Bentley v BGP Properties Pty Ltd [2006] NSWLEC 34; (2006) 145 LGERA 234 Byers v Leichhardt Municipal Council [2006] NSWLEC 82 Byron Shire Council v Fletcher [2005] NSWLEC 706; (2005) 143 LGERA 155 Camden Council v Tax [2004] NSWLEC 448; (2004) 137 LGERA 368 Cameron v Eurobodalla Shire Council [2006] NSWLEC 47; (2006) 146 LGERA 349 Camilleri's Stock Feeds Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority (1993) 32 NSWLR 683, 82 LGERA 21 Carlino v Leichhardt Municipal Council [2005] NSWLEC 198; (2005) 144 LGERA 235 Director-General of the Department of Environment and Climate Change v Hudson [2009] NSWLEC 4 Environment Protection Authority v Capdate Pty Ltd (1993) 78 LGERA 349 Environment Protection Authority v Coe Drilling Australia Pty Ltd [2005] NSWLEC 719 Eurobodalla Shire Council v Wheelhouse [2006] NSWLEC 98 Garrett v Freeman (No 5); Garrett v Port Macquarie Hastings Council; Carter v Port Macquarie Hastings Council [2009] NSWLEC 1 Garrett v Williams [2006] NSWLEC 785; (2006) 160 LGERA 115 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 CASES CITED: Hoare v The Queen (1989) 167 CLR 348 Kari & Ghossayn Pty Ltd v Sutherland Shire Council [2006] NSWLEC 532; (2006) 150 LGERA 231 Majury v Sunbeam Corp Ltd [1974] 1 NSWLR 659 Manly Council v Taheri [2008] NSWLEC 314 Mosman Municipal Council v Menai Excavations Pty Ltd [2002] NSWLEC 132; (2002) 122 LGERA 89 Power v Penthill House Pty Ltd (1993) 80 LGERA 247 R v Allpass (1993) 72 A Crim R 561 R v Dodd (1991) 57 A Crim R 349 R v Murray (unreported, NSW Court of Criminal Appeal, Barr J and Newman J, 29 October 1997) R v Nichols (1991) 57 A Crim R 391 R v Peel [1971] 1 NSWLR 247 R v Rushby [1977] 1 NSWLR 594 R v Thomson; R v Houlton [2000] NSWCCA 383; (2000) 49 NSWLR 383 Sutherland Shire Councill v Nustas [2004] NSWLEC 608 Sutherland Shire Council v Turner [2004] NSWLEC 774 Veen v The Queen (1979) 143 CLR 458 Veen v The Queen (No 2) (1988) 164 CLR 465