MINISTER FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT & ANOR v SOUTH SYDNEY CITY COUNCIL [2002] NSWCA 288

Reported Decision : (2002) 55 NSWLR 381 (2003) 123 LGERA 367

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : MINISTER FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT & ANOR v SOUTH SYDNEY CITY COUNCIL [2002] NSWCA 288 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA CA 40444/02 HEARING DATE(S) : 18/07/02 19/07/02 JUDGMENT DATE : 30 August 2002

Minister for Local Government (Appellant) PARTIES : Local Government Boundaries Commission (Second Appellant) South Sydney City Council (Respondent) JUDGMENT OF : Spigelman CJ at 1; Mason P at 51; Ipp AJA at 296

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : Land & Environment Court LOWER COURT 40060/02 FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT Talbot J JUDICIAL OFFICER :

COUNSEL : B Walker SC / N Hutley SC / N Perram (Appellant and Second Appellant) S Rares SC / M B Lee (Respondent) SOLICITORS : I V Knight (Appellant and Second Appellant) Marsdens Law Group (Respondent) CATCHWORDS : JURISDICTION - Land and Environment Court - whether issue of procedural fairness within jurisdiction - whether breach of the Act - s672 Local Government Act 1993 - whether within ancillary jurisdiction - s16(1A) Land and Environment Court Act 1979 - ADMINISTRATIVE LAW - Local Government Boundaries Commission - whether report invalid for consideration of wrong proposal - whether reasons of trial judge adequate - whether critical evidence disregarded - ADMINISTRATIVE LAW - delegation of function- whether consultants could be engaged to deal with submissions - ADMINISTRATIVE LAW - procedural fairnes - Local Government Boundaries Commission - content of obligation where no inquiry held - whether obligation breached - whether obliged to notify affected Council of modifications to proposa - whether obliged to give affected Council access to adverse submissions - ADMINISTRATIVE LAW - relevant considerations - whether statutory factor given "proper, genuine and realistic consideration" - s263(3)(e2) Local Government Act 1993 LEGISLATION CITED : Land and Environment Court Act 1979 Local Government Act 1993 Abebe v The Commonwealth (1999) 197 CLR 510 Advance Bank Australia Ltd v FAI Insurances Ltd (1987) 9 NSWLR 464 Ainsworth v Criminal Justice Commission (1992) 175 CLR 564 Annetts v McCann (1990) 170 CLR 596 Attorney-General (NSW) v Quin (1990) 170 CLR 1 Australian Capital Territory Revenue v Alphaone Pty Ltd (1994) 49 FCR 576 Brettingham-Moore v Municipality of St Leonards (1969) 121 CLR 509 Brodie v Singleton Shire Council (2001) 75 ALJR 992 Calvin v Carr [1980] AC 574 Chiropractors Association of Australia (South Australia) Ltd and Naomi Perry v Workcover Corporation Association of South Australia [1997] SASC 120 Cooper v Wandsworth Board of Works (1863) 14 CB(NS) 180, 143 ER 414 Coulton v Holcombe (1986) 162 CLR 1 Council of Civil Service Unions v Minister for the Civil Service [1985] AC 374 FAI Insurance Ltd v Winneke (1982) 151 CLR 342 Forbes v New South Wales Trotting Club Ltd (1979) 143 CLR 242 Haoucher v Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (1990) 169 CLR 648 Hill v Green (1999) 48 NSWLR 161 Hill v King (1993) 31 NSWLR 654 Hot Holdings Pty Ltd v Creasy (1996) 185 CLR 149 Johns v Australian Securities Commission (1993) 178 CLR 408 Khan v Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (1987) 14 ALD 291 Kioa v West (1985) 159 CLR 550 Mahon v Air New Zealand [1984] AC 808 Mifsud v Campbell (1991) 21 NSWLR 725 Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs v Teoh (1995) 183 CLR 273 CASES CITED: Minister for Immigration v Bhardwaj (2002) 76 ALJR 598 Muin v Refugee Review Tribunal [2002] HCA 30 National Companies & Securities Commission v News Corporation Limited (1984) 156 CLR 296 North Sydney Council v Michael Standley & Associates Pty Ltd (1998) 43 NSWLR 468 NTL Australia Pty Ltd v Minister for Land and Water Conservation (2001) 112 LGERA 403 R v Australian Broadcasting Tribunal; Ex parte Hardiman (1980) 144 CLR 13 R v Panel on Take-overs and Mergers; Ex parte Datafin [1987] QB 815 Re Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs; Ex parte Epeabaka (2001) 206 CLR 128 Re Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs; Ex parte Miah (2001) 206 CLR 57 Re Refugee Tribunal; Ex parte Aala (2000) 204 CLR 82 Re: Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs; Ex parte "A" [2001] 185 ALR 489 Russell v Duke of Norfolk [1949] 1 All ER 109 Scharer v State of New South Wales (2001) 53 NSWLR 299 South Australia v O'Shea (1987) 163 CLR 378 South Sydney City Council v Minister for Local Government & Anor [2002] NSWLEC 74 South Sydney Council v Local Government Boundaries Commission [2001] NSWLEC 280 State of Victoria v The Master Builders' Association of Victoria [1995] 2 VR 121 Stead v State Government Insurance Commission (1986) 161 CLR 141 Telstra Corporation Ltd v Kendall (1995) 55 FCR 221 Testro Brothers Pty Ltd v Tait (1963) 109 CLR 353 Tickner v Chapman (1995) 57 FCR 451 Transport Action Group Against Motorways Inc v Roads & Traffic Authority (1999) 46 NSWLR 598 Vanmeld Pty Ltd v Fairfield City Council (1999) 46 NSWLR 78 Victims Compensation Fund Corporation v Nguyen (2001) 52 NSWLR 213 Warringah Council v Edmondson [2001] NSWCA 1 Weal v Bathurst City Council (2000) 111 LGERA 181 Zhang v Canterbury City Council (2001) 51 NSWLR 589 DECISION : Appeal allowed