AMACA PTY LIMITED (Formerly known as James Hardie & Coy Pty Limited) v THE STATE OF NEW SOUTH WALES & ANOR [2004] NSWCA 124

Reported Decision : 132 LGERA 309 (2004) Aust Torts Reports 81-749

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : AMACA PTY LIMITED (Formerly known as James Hardie & Coy Pty Limited) v THE STATE OF NEW SOUTH WALES & ANOR [2004] NSWCA 124 revised - 27/05/2004 HEARING DATE(S) : 15/04/04, 16/04/04 JUDGMENT DATE : 17 May 2004

JUDGMENT OF : Mason P at 1; Ipp JA at 2; McColl JA at 164 DECISION : Appeal dismissed with costs.

CATCHWORDS : NEGLIGENCE - Construction industry - Working environment with large amounts of asbestos dust - Negligent performance of statutory duties - Whether State owed a duty of care to employees to direct the employer to address unsafe working conditions - whether inspectors knew such conditions were unsafe - Whether knowledge of the State inspectors to be attributed to the State - Whether knowledge of an independent statutory corporation is to be attributed to the State - Whether circumstances fall into any of the specified exceptional categories identified in Sutherland Shire Council v Heyman (1985) 157 CLR 424 - Whether circumstances analogous to those in Crimmins v Stevedoring Industry Finance Committee (1999) 200 CLR 1 or Pyrenees Shire Council v Day (1998) 192 CLR 330. D Construction Safety Act 1912 Dust Diseases Tribunal Act 1989, s 32 Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1946, s 5 LEGISLATION CITED : Local Government Act 1958 (Vic) Occupation Health and Safety Act 2000 Scaffolding and Lifts Act 1912, ss 5, 13, 15 Scaffolding and Lifts Regulations 1950, regs 10, 13, 73 Stevedoring Industry Act 1956 (Cth), ss 17, 18 Amaca Pty Ltd v State of New South Wales (2003) 199 ALR 596 Babcock International Ltd v Babcock Australia Ltd (2002) 56 NSWLR 51 Anns v Merton London Borough Council (1978) AC 728 Crimmins v Stevedoring Industry Finance Committee (1999) 200 CLR 1 Fowles v Eastern and Australian Steamship Company Limited [1916] 2 AC 556 Graham Barclay Oysters Pty Limited v Ryan (2003) 211 CLR 540 Lange v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1997) 189 CLR 520 Launceston Corporation v The Hydro-Electric Commission (1959) 100 CLR 654 Oceanic Crest Shipping Co v Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd [1986] WAR 88 Oceanic Crest Shipping Co v Pilbara Harbour Services Pty Ltd (1986) 160 CLR 626 Parramatta City Council v Lutz (1988) 12 NSWLR 293 Pyrenees Shire Council v Day (1998) 192 CLR 330 Revesz v The Commonwealth (1951) 51 SR (NSW) 63 CASES CITED : Rolls Royce Industrial Power (Pacific) Ltd v James Hardie & Coy Pty Ltd (2001) 53 NSWLR 626 Romeo v Conservation Commissin (NT) (1998) 192 CLR 432 Rowling v Takaro Properties Limited [1988] AC 473 Scott v Green & Sons (1969) 1 WLR 301 Sheppard v Glossop Corporation (1921) 3 KB 132 State Authorities Superannuation Board v Commissioner of State Taxation (WA) (1996) 189 CLR 253 Stevedoring Industry Finance Committee v Gibson (2000) 20 NSWCCR 417 Sutherland Shire Council v Heyman (1985) 157 CLR 424 Tamlin v Hannaford [1950] 1 KB 18 "The Christiana" (1850) 13 ER 841 Vetter v Lake Macquarie City Council (2001) 202 CLR 439 Voli v Inglewood Shire Council (1963) 110 CLR 74 Wetzel v District Court of New South Wales (1998) 43 NSWLR 687 Woolcock Street Investments Pty Ltd v CDG Pty Limited [2004] HCA 16 Workington Harbour and Dock Board v Towerfield (owners) [1951] AC 112r AMACA PTY LIMITED (Formerly known as James Hardie & Coy Pty Limited) (Appellant) PARTIES : THE STATE OF NEW SOUTH WALES (First Respondent) ROLLS ROYCE INDUSTRIAL POWER (PACIFIC) LIMITED (Formerly John Thompson (Australia) Pty Limited) (Second Respondent) FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40852/99 F M Douglas QC/G M Watson SC (Appellant) COUNSEL : J M Ireland QC/J F Burn (First Respondent) No Appearance (Second Respondent) Allens Arthur Robinson (Appellant) SOLICITORS : I V Knight, Crown Solicitor (First Respondent) Hunt & Hunt (Second Respondent)