Mason and Another v Wagonga Local Aboriginal Land Council and Another [2002] NSWSC 351

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Mason and Another v Wagonga Local Aboriginal Land Council and Another [2002] NSWSC 351 revised - 09/05/2002 FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 3721/98 HEARING DATE(S) : 18/03/02,19/03/02,20/03/02,21/03/02,22/03/02,25/03/02 JUDGMENT DATE : 29 April 2002

Rodney Mason - First Plaintiff PARTIES : Jayne Woolley - Second Plaintiff Wagonga Local Aboriginal Land Council - Second Defendant Ron Mason - 2nd Defendant JUDGMENT OF : Gzell J

P Singleton for the plaintiffs COUNSEL : M Wright for the 1st defendant R Hollo for the second defendant Legal Aid Commission of NSW SOLICITORS : Henrietta J Dean Solicitor and Attorney Horowitz & Bilinsky Solicitors Kemp Strang Lawyers CATCHWORDS : Aborigines - Local Aboriginal Land Council - promise to provide house and land - proprietary estoppel - damages in lieu - breach of fiduciary duty - negligence - statutory immunity - jealous interpretation - Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 ss 12(1), 13(6), 54- Aboriginal Land Rights Regulation 1983 regs 17B, 32(1), sch 3 Cl 5 Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 LEGISLATION CITED : Aboriginal Land Rights Regulation 1996 Aboriginal Land Rights Regulation 1983 Browne v Dunn (1893) 6 R 67 Ramsden v Dyson (1866) LR 1 HL 129 at 170 Crabb v Arun District Council [1976] Ch 179 Waltons Stores (Interstate) Ltd v Maher (1987-1988)164 CLR 387 Watson v Floxman (2000) 49 NSWLR 315 at 318-319 Breen v Williams (1995-1996) 186 CLR at 82 Youyoung v Minter Ellison [2000] NSWCA 198 CASES CITED : Hospital Product Ltd v United States Surgical Corporation (1984) 156 CLR 41 at 68 Bromley London Borough Council v Greater London Council [1983] 1AC 768 IW v City of Perth (1996-1997) 191 CLR 1 at 49 Avenhouse v Hornsby Shire Council (1998) 44 NSWLR 1 Board of Fire Commissioners of New South Wales v Ardouin (1961) 109 CLR 105 at 116 Puntorieor v Water Corporation (2000) 199 CLR 575 at 578 Commonwealth v Verwayen (1990) 170 CLR 394 at 413 Commonwealth v Clark [1994] 2 VR 333 Hayden v Mitchell (1986) 60 LGRA 123 DECISION : See par 50