McConnell Dowell Constructors (Aust) Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority [No 2] [2002] NSWCCA 24

Reported Decision : (2002) 54 NSWLR 39

New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal

CITATION : McConnell Dowell Constructors (Aust) Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority [No 2] [2002] NSWCCA 24 FILE NUMBER(S) : CCA 60747/01 HEARING DATE(S) : 19/02/02 JUDGMENT DATE : 19 February 2002

PARTIES : McConnell Dowell Constructors (Aust) Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority [No 2] JUDGMENT OF : Ipp AJA at 1 & 35; Kirby J at 33; Howie J at 34

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : Land and Environment Court LOWER COURT FILE NUMBER(S) : LEC 50009/99 LOWER COURT JUDICIAL Pearlman J OFFICER :

COUNSEL : J L Glissan QC/G Newport (Appellant) D Buchanan SC/J Kelly (Respondent) SOLICITORS : Doyles Construction Lawyers (Appellant) Environment Protection Authority (Respondent) CATCHWORDS : CRIMINAL LAW - appeal - summons charged appellant with polluting waters contrary to s 16(1) of the Clean Waters Act 1970 - whether omission of an allegation detailing the act of pollution said to have caused the pollution renders the charge fatally defective - whether curative effect of s 43 of the Land and Environment Court Act 1979 operates - whether act of polluting is a legal element of offence or merely essential factual ingredient - distinction between legal elements and essential factual ingredients - "polluting" of waters is legal element - the particular way appellant polluted waters constitutes factual ingredient - charge in summons alleges all the legal elements of an offence contravening s 16(1) - appeal dismissed. Environmental Offences and Penalties Act 1989 LEGISLATION CITED : Clear Waters Act 1970 Land and Environment Court Act 1979 McConnell Dowell Constructors (Aust) Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority (2000) 50 NSWLR 127 Taylor v Environment Protection Authority (2000) 50 NSWLR 48 CASES CITED: Ex parte Lovell; re Buckley (1938) 38 SR (NSW) 153; 55 WN (NSW) 63 Stanton v Abernathy (1990) 19 NSWLR 656 Brownlie v State Pollution Control Commission (1992) 27 NSWLR 78 Environment Protection Authority v Bathurst City Council (1995) 89 LGERA 79 DECISION : (1) Appeal dismissed (2) The Court affirms the order made by Pearlman J on 20 June 2001 dismissing the appellant's notice of motion filed on 15 June 2001.