Georgeski v Owners Corporation SP49833 [2004] NSWSC 1096

Reported Decision : 62 NSWLR 534

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Georgeski v Owners Corporation SP49833 [2004] NSWSC 1096 HEARING DATE(S) : 07/10/04, 08/10/04, 04/11/04 JUDGMENT DATE : 22 November 2004 JURISDICTION: Equity Division JUDGMENT OF : Barrett J DECISION : Declaratory relief against first defendant granted. Declaratory and injunctive relief against second and third defendants refused.

CATCHWORDS : REAL PROPERTY - Crown lands - licence granted by Crown over site of jetty and slipway on bank of tidal river - nature of rights created - whether jetty and slipway are fixtures - effect of provisions of licence declaring them to be "property of" licensee but precluding alteration, removal and destruction while licence subsists - common law rights of public in relation to tidal foreshore - attenuation thereof by statute - TORTS - trespass to land - whether contractual licensee without right of exclusive possession may maintain action in trespass - Manchester Airport plc v Dutton considered - EQUITY - declaratory relief - whether court should at suit of A declare B's rights against C - lack of utility - postulated rights inconsistent with statutory provision Conveyancing Act 1919, Part II, Schedule VIII LEGISLATION CITED : Crown Lands Act 1989, ss.6, 34, 36, 45, 46, 47, 48, 50, 159, 174 Magna Carta Adair v National Trust [1998] NI 33 Adams v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [1980] RTR 289 Alamo Housing Co-operative Ltd v Meredith [2003] EWCA 495 Anderson v Alnwick District Council [1993] 1 WLR 1156 Attorney General (British Columbia) v Attorney General (Canada) [1914] AC 153 Attorney General of Southern Nigeria v John Holt (Liverpool) Ltd [1915] AC 599 Australian Aggregates (NSW) Pty Ltd v Maxmin (unreported, NSWSC, Hodgson J, 16 May 1988), Australian Provincial Assurance Co Ltd v Coroneo (1938) 38 SR (NSW) 700 Australian Softwood Forests Pty Ltd v Attorney General (1981) 148 CLR 121 Ball v Consolidated Rutile Ltd [1991] 1 Qd R 524 Behrens v Richards [1905] 2 Ch 614 Blundell v Catterall (1821) 5 B & Ald 268 Brinckman v Matley [1904] 2 Ch 313 Canadian Pacific Railway Company v The King [1931] AC 414 Consolidated Metal Products Ltd v Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1962) 108 CLR 120 Commonwealth v Yarmirr (1999) 168 ALR 426 Countryside Residential (North Thames) Ltd v Tugwell (2001) 81 P & CR 2 Fensom v Cootamundra Racecourse Reserve Trust [2000] NSWSC 1072 Fitzgerald v Firbank [1897] 2 Ch 96 Hill v Tupper [1863] 3 H & C 121 CASES CITED : Hindmarsh v Quinn (1913) 17 CLR 622 J N Taylor Holdings Ltd v Bond (1993) 59 SASR 432 Mabo v Queensland (No 2) (1992) 175 CLR 1 Manchester Airport plc v Dutton [2000] 1 QB 133 Marshall v Green (1875) 1 CPD 35 Minister for Lands v Kitto (1912) 12 SR(NSW) 80 Moreland Timber Co Pty Ltd v Reid [1946] VLR 237 New South Wales v The Commonwealth (1975) 135 CLR 337 North Shore Gas Co Ltd v Commissioner of Stamp Duties (1940) 63 CLR 52 Radaich v Smith (1959) 101 CLR 223 Ramnarace v Lutchman [2001] 1 WLR 1651 Re Sir Edward Hulse [1905] 1 Ch 406 Registrar of Titles v Spencer (1909) 9 CLR 641 Settlers Cove Development Pty Ltd v Noosa Shire Council [1997] 2 Qd R 618 State of New South Wales v Scharer (2003) 131 LGERA 208 Street v Mountford [1985] AC 809 Sustainable Fishing and Tourism Inc v Minister for Fisheries (2000) 106 LGERA 322 Vopak Terminals Australia Pty Ltd v Commissioner of State Revenue (2004) 55 ATR 1 Western Australia v Ward (2002) 213 CLR 1 Whangarei Harbour Board v Nelson [1930] NZLR 554 Williams-Ellis v Cobb [1935] 1 KB 310 Wm Collins & Sons Pty Ltd v Co-ordinator General of Public Works (1969) 36 CLLR 124 Annette Georgeski - Plaintiff Owners Corporation SP49833 - First Defendant PARTIES : Anne Catherine Hynd - Second Defendant Joan Mary Hutchinson - Third Defendant State of New South Wales - Fourth Defendant FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 5018/02 Mr M.F. Holmes QC/Ms K. Richardson - Plaintiff COUNSEL : Mr D.A. Smallbone - Second and Third Defendants Mr T.H. Barrett - Fourth Defendant Warren McKeon Dickson - Plaintiff SOLICITORS : Dobes & Andrews - First Defendant McCabe Partners - Second and Third Defendants I.V. Knight, Crown Solicitor - Fourth Defendant