ABIGROUP CONTRACTORS PTY. LTD. (ACN 000 201 516) v. SYDNEY CATCHMENT AUTHORITY [2004] NSWCA 270

Reported Decision : (2004) ATPR (Digest) 46-256

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : ABIGROUP CONTRACTORS PTY. LTD. (ACN 000 201 516) v. SYDNEY CATCHMENT AUTHORITY [2004] NSWCA 270 HEARING DATE(S) : 29/03/04, 30/03/04 JUDGMENT DATE : 9 August 2004

JUDGMENT OF : Beazley JA at 1; Ipp JA at 104; Tobias JA at 105 DECISION : 1. Appeal allowed; 2. Set aside the orders made by the trial judge on 23 July 2003; 3. Order that the Referee's Report be rejected; 4. Remit the matter to the trial judge for rehearing; 5. The respondent is to pay the appellant's costs of the appeal; 6. The costs of the hearing before the trial judge are to abide the outcome of the rehearing.

CATCHWORDS : PROCEDURE - Supreme Court Rules Pt 72 r 13 - Adoption of Referee's Report. - APPEALS - Nature of Appeal from a hearing under Pt 72 r 13 - An appeal from a judge's decision pursuant to this rule is limited to review of the judge's decision to adopt, vary or reject the referee's report - Failure to deal with party's case - Appealable error. - TRADE PRACTICES - Causation - Reliance - Whether information merely passed on - Loss or damage "by" conduct of another person - Causation is the common law practical or common-sense conception of causation - Reliance is an aspect of causation - Express negative statement that something does not exist - It is not necessary in order to prove reliance for there to be an evidentiary statement to the effect that the representation was relied on. Fair Trading Act 1987 (NSW) LEGISLATION CITED : Sydney Water Management Act 1998 (NSW) Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth). Alcatel Australia Ltd v Scarcella [2001] NSWCA 401 Flender (Australia) Pty Ltd v Warman International Ltd (unreported, 18 June 1998) Gardam v. George Willis & Co. Limited (1988) 82 ALR 415 Gould v Vaggelas (1985) 157 CLR 215 at 236 Hanave Pty Ltd v LFOT Pty Ltd (1999) 43 IPR 545 Henville v Walker (2001) 206 CLR 459 Jarvan Pty Ltd (in liq) v Seery (unreported, 1 December 1998) John G Glass Real Estate Pty. Limited v. Karaw: Constructions Pty. Limited (1993) ATPR (Digest) 41-249 CASES CITED : March v Stramare (E & MH) Pty Ltd (1991) 171 CLR 506 Miba Pty. Limited & Ors. v. Nescor Industries Group Pty. Limited & Anor. (1996) 141 ALR 525 Mulligan v Benton [1999] NSWCA 339 Multicon Engineering Pty Ltd v Federal Airports Corp (1997) 47 NSWLR 631 Nine Network Pty Ltd v Kennedy Miller Television Pty Ltd (unreported, 8 June 1994) Super Pty Ltd v SJP Formwork (Aust) Pty Ltd (1991) 29 NSWLR 549 Theiss Contractors Pty Ltd v Grogan (unreported, 24 July 1996) Wardley Australia Ltd v State of Western Australia (1992) 175 CLR 514 Yorke v. Lucas (1985) 158 CLR 665 PARTIES : Abigroup Contractors Pty. Ltd. (ACN 000 201 516) (Appellant) Sydney Catchment Authority (Respondent) FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40784/2003 COUNSEL : D.F. Jackson QC/S.A. Kerr (Appellant) S.R. Donaldson SC/M. Dempsey (Respondent) SOLICITORS : Clayton Utz (Appellant) Phillips Fox (Respondent)