Australian Cement v Adelaide Brighton [2001] NSWSC 799

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Australian Cement v Adelaide Brighton [2001] NSWSC 799 CURRENT JURISDICTION: Equity Division Commercial List FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 50054/00 HEARING DATE(S) : 23/07/01, 24/07/01, 25/07/01, 26/07/01, 27/07/01, 30/07/01 JUDGMENT DATE : 13 September 2001

Australian Cement Holdings Pty Limited - Plaintiff PARTIES : Adelaide Brighton Limited - First Defendant Adelaide Brighton Cement Limited - Second Defendant JUDGMENT OF : Barrett J

COUNSEL : Mr A.J. Meagher SC/Mr A.J. Payne - Plaintiff Mr I.M. Jackman/Mr A. Ivantsoff - Defendants SOLICITORS : Gilbert & Tobin - Plaintiff Minter Ellison - Defendants CATCHWORDS : TRADE PRACTICES - Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth), s.52 - misleading and deceptive conduct - pre-contractual consensus - subsequent specific representations omitting matters material to operation of consensus - whether such matters should have been gathered from other materials provided - reliance on incomplete version - resultant failure to negotiate better contractual position according with consensus - claim for damages made out LEGISLATION CITED : Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) Neilsen v Hempston Holdings Pty Ltd (1986) 65 ALR 302 Sutton v A J Thompson Pty Ltd (in liq) (1987) 73 ALR 233 Henjo Investments Pty Ltd v Collins Marrickville Pty Ltd (1988) 39 FCR 546 Argy v Blunts and Lane Cove Real Estate Agency Pty Ltd (1990) 26 FCR 112 Parkdale Custom Built Furniture Pty Ltd v Puxu Pty Ltd (1982) 149 CLR 191 CASES CITED : Elders Trustee & Executor Co Ltd v E.G. Reeves Pty Ltd (1987) 78 ALR 193 Como Investments Pty Ltd v Yenald Nominees Pty Ltd (1997) 19 ATPR 41-550 Marks v GIO Australia Holdings Ltd (1998) 196 CLR 494 Petera Pty Ltd v EAJ Pty Ltd (1985) 7 FCR 375 Oraka Pty Ltd v Leda Holdings Pty Ltd (1997) ATPR 41-558 Tantipech v IOOF Australia Trustees (NSW) Ltd (1998) ATPR 41-614 DECISION : Plaintiff entitled to damages for contravention of s.52 of Trade Practices Act 1974