RYDE CITY COUNCIL v ECHT & ANOR [2000] NSWCA 108

Reported Decision : 107 LGERA 317

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : RYDE CITY COUNCIL v ECHT & ANOR [2000] NSWCA 108 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40695/98 HEARING DATE(S) : 11 April 2000 JUDGMENT DATE : 11 April 2000

Ryde City Council (Appellant) PARTIES : Alexander and Iris Teresa Echt (1st Respondents) T.I. and D.M. Shallita (2nd Respondents) JUDGMENT OF : Spigelman CJ at 1; Powell JA at 72; Heydon JA at 73

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : Land & Environment Court LOWER COURT LEC 40074/98 FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT Cowdroy AJ JUDICIAL OFFICER :

M Tobias QC / Ms S Duggan (Appellant) COUNSEL : T F Robertson (1st Respondents) B M Antcliffe (2nd Respondents) Hill Thomson & Sullivan (Appellant) SOLICITORS : Blake Dawson Waldron (1st Respondents) D'Angelo, Solicitors (2nd Respondents) CATCHWORDS : ADMINISTRATIVE LAW - Council decisions - jurisdiction of the Land and Environment Court to review - legal not merits review - Land and Environment Court Act 1979, s20(2) - Local Government Act 1993, s676(1) - ADMINISTRATIVE LAW - duties of Council - "responsibility" - "unreasonableness" - Local Government Act 1993, s7(d), s124, s674 - Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, s123 - Constitution Act 1902, s51(1) - ADMINISTRATIVE LAW - Council discretions - "may" - Local Government Act 1993, s124, s172(2), s673 - Interpretation Act 1987, s9 Constitution Act 1902 Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 LEGISLATION CITED : Interpretation Act 1987 Land and Environment Court Act 1979 Local Government Act 1993 Suitors' Fund Act 1951 Attorney-General v Harris [1961] 1 QB 74 Bateman's Bay Local Aboriginal Land Council v Aboriginal Community Benefit Fund Pty Ltd (1998) 194 CLR 247 Blacktown Municipal Council v Friend (1974) 29 LGRA 192 CASES CITED: Payne v Mosman Municipal Council [2000] NSWLEC 25 Peek v New South Wales Egg Corporation (1986) 6 NSWLR 1 South Sydney Municipal Council v Hadzinickitas (1977) 35 LGRA 159 Sutherland Shire Council v Heyman (1984-1985) 157 CLR 424 Warringah Shire Council v Sedevcic (1987) 10 NSWLR 335 DECISION : (1) Appeal allowed; (2) Vacate orders 1 and 4 of Cowdroy AJ's orders of 21 August 1998; (3) Order that the First Respondents pay 75 per cent of the Appellant's costs and the Second Respondent pay 25 per cent of the Appellant's costs of the appeal. If entitled, each of the Respondents to be granted a certificate under the Suitors' Fund Act; (4) Order that the application be dismissed as against the Council in the court below