Lemworth Pty Limited v Liverpool City Council [2001] NSWCA 389

Reported Decision : (2001) 117 LGERA 305

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : Lemworth Pty Limited v Liverpool City Council [2001] NSWCA 389 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40202/01 HEARING DATE(S) : 28 September 2001 JUDGMENT DATE : 6 November 2001

PARTIES : Lemworth Pty Limited - Claimant/Appellant Liverpool City Council - Opponent/Respondent JUDGMENT OF : Stein JA at 1; Hodgson JA at 68; Rolfe AJA at 76

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : Land & Environment Court LOWER COURT LEC 10979/00 FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT Cowdroy J JUDICIAL OFFICER :

COUNSEL : S B Austin QC/R J H Darke - Claimant/Appellant I J Hemmings - Opponent/Respondent SOLICITORS : Mark Stenberg & Associates, Hornsby - Claimant/Appellant Marsdens - Opponent/Respondent CATCHWORDS : ENVIRONMENTAL LAW - existing use - brothel - development application to expand use - cl 42 Environmental Planning & Assessment Act Regulations 2000 - meaning of 'land' - whether subject land can be regarded as a 'unit' - whether extraneous parking areas are part of the land - D Liverpool Local Environmental Plan 1997 LEGISLATION CITED : Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979 Environmental Planning & Assessment Act Regulations 2000 Eaton & Sons Pty Ltd v Warringah Shire Council (1972) 129 CLR 270 Ku-Ring-Gai Municipal Council v Mobil Oil (Unreported, NSWCA, 3 June 1992) Mobil Oil v Ku-Ring-Gai Municipal Council (1990) 70 LGRA 419 Norman v Gosford City Council (1975) 132 CLR 83 North Sydney Municipal Council v Boyts (1989) 67 LGRA 344 North Sydney Council v Ligon 302 Pty Limited (1996) 91 LGERA 352 CASES CITED: Parramatta City Council v Brickworks Limited (1972) 128 CLR 1 Salvation Army v Newcastle City Council (2000) 107 LGERA 40 Scully v Leichhardt City Council (1994) 85 LGERA 109 South Sydney City Council v Houlakis (1996) 92 LGERA 401 Steedman v Baulkham Hills Shire Council (1991) 87 LGERA 26 Vanmeld Pty Ltd v Fairfield City Council (1992) 75 LGRA 374 Vaughan-Taylor v David Mitchell-Melcann Pty Ltd (1991) 25 NSWLR 580 DECISION : 1) Leave to appeal granted. 2) Appeal upheld in part. 3) Appellant to pay the respondent's costs of the appeal. 4) The following rider be added to the answer of his Honour to the question before the Court: Unless the ground floor of the premises was included in the land which was used for the existing use of a brothel immediately before the relevant date by reason of being held in reserve or otherwise. 5) The matter be remitted to the Land and Environment Court for any further hearing.