Simpson & Anor v Bagnall & Anor [2000] NSWSC 930

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Simpson & Anor v Bagnall & Anor [2000] NSWSC 930 CURRENT JURISDICTION: Equity Division FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 1815 of 2000 HEARING DATE(S) : 17, 18 and 19 July 2000 Final submissions 28 August 2000 JUDGMENT DATE : 5 October 2000

PARTIES : James David Simpson & Lynne Elizabeth Simpson (Plaintiffs) Stephen David Bagnall & Loris Lorraine Stevenson (Defendants) JUDGMENT OF : Bergin J

COUNSEL : Mr C Hodgson (Plaintiffs) Mr L Gyles (Defendants) SOLICITORS : E.C. Abernethy (Plaintiffs) Graham Barrett & Associates (Defendants) CATCHWORDS : INTERPRETATION - Whether s. 4(2) of the Inclosed Lands Protection Act (1901) amounts to an entitlement to a declaration independent of a prosecution - Purpose of Act - Reasons for the 1939 Amendments - No entitlement expressly provided for - No necessary implication - Application of Act limited to prosecutions for trespass. REAL PROPERTY - Easements - Application pursuant to s 88K of the Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW) - Whether imposition of easement is reasonably necessary - Composite nature of test - Plaintiffs unable to establish that the easement sought would facilitate access to their property - Plaintiffs have not made all reasonable attempts to obtain an easement to the same effect - Application under Roads Act 1993 for opening of public road over identical portion of land - Ministerial approval for opening subject to compensation agreed or determined by Land & Environment Court - Test of reasonable necessity not satisfied. Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW) LEGISLATION CITED : Inclosed Lands Protection Act 1901 (NSW) Roads Act 1993 (NSW) Ex Parte Baldwin (1908) 8 SR (NSW) 19 Barns & Campbell v Edwards & Linden (1993) 68 A Crim R 140 Durack v De Winton (1998) 9 BPR 16,403 CASES CITED : In the matter of an application by JJ Kindervater (Derrington J, unreported, QSC, 2 August 1995) Simpson v Stack & Grzelczak (Hulme J, unreported NSWSC, 15 October 1996) Treweeke v Benson (1936) 53 WN (NSW) 151 Wik Peoples v The State of Queensland & Ors (1996) 141 ALR 129 117 York Street Pty Limited v Proprietors of Strata Plan No. 16123 (1998) 43 NSWLR 504 DECISION : Application for declaration refused. Application for imposition of easement refused.