Hyder Consulting (Australia) P/L v Wilh Wilhelmsen Agency P/L & Anor [2001] NSWCA 313

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : Hyder Consulting (Australia) P/L v Wilh Wilhelmsen Agency P/L & Anor [2001] NSWCA 313 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40955 of 2000 HEARING DATE(S) : 03/09/01 JUDGMENT DATE : 14 November 2001

Hyder Consulting (Australia) Pty Limited v PARTIES : Wilh Wilhelmsen Agency Pty Limited And James Thiessen & Associates Pty Limited JUDGMENT OF : Meagher JA at 1; Sheller JA at 25; Giles JA at 56

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : District Court LOWER COURT 2754 of 1998 FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT Sorby DCJ JUDICIAL OFFICER :

Appellant: G Inatey SC with G P McNally COUNSEL : 1st Respondent: D Hammerschlag SC with I H Bailey 2nd Respondent: I G B Roberts Appellant: Colin Biggers & Paisley SOLICITORS : 1st Respondent: Barker Gosling Lawyers 2nd Respondent: Minter Ellison Lawyers CATCHWORDS : Contract - construction of pavement - where after four years' use pavement collapsed - whether ACEA terms limiting liability were part of contract - assessment of damages - reduction for betterment - appeal allowed - cross-appeal allowed. Empirnall Holdings Pty Ltd v Machon Paull Partners Pty Ltd (1988) 14 NSWLR 523 Bellgrove v Eldridge (1954) 90 CLR 613 at 617-8 Badham v Williams (1968) NZLR 728 Harbutt's 'Plasticine' Unlimited v Wayne Tank and Pump Co Limited [1970] 1 QB 447 British Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co Ltd v Underground Electric Railways Co of London Ltd [1912] AC 673 Jebsen v East and West India Dock Co (1875) LR 10 CP 300 Joyner v Weeks [1891] 2 QB 31 CASES CITED: Murphy v Brown [1985] 1 NSWLR 131 J & B Caldwell v Logan House Retirement Home [1999] 2 NZLR 99 James Street Hardware and Furniture Co v Spizziri (1987) 62 OR (2d) 385 Maxitherm Boilers Pty Ltd v Pacific Dunlop Ltd & Anor (1998) 4 VR 559 at 569 Baltic Shipping Co v Dillon ("Mikhail Lermontov") (1991) NSWLR 1 at 8-9 and 24-25 Central Coast Leagues Club Limited v Gosford City Council (9 June 1998, unreported) Director of War Services Homes v Harris (1968) QdR 512 De Cesare v Deluxe Motors Pty Limited (1996) 13 BCL 136 Hoad v Scone Motors Pty Ltd (1977) 1 NSWLR 88 DECISION : IN THE APPEAL BY THE ENGINEER:- a) Appeal allowed; b) verdict and judgment for the owner set aside, and in lieu thereof verdict and judgment for the engineer; c) owner to pay the engineer's costs of the trial and of the appeal, and to have a certificate under the Suitors Fund Act if otherwise qualified. IN THE CROSS-APPEALS BY THE ARCHITECT AND THE OWNER:- a) Appeals allowed; b) verdict and judgment for the owner in the amount of $578,163 set aside, and in lieu thereof verdict and judgment for the owner in the amount of $426,138; c) owner to pay architect's costs of the appeal, and to have a certificate under the Suitors Fund Act if otherwise qualified.