WORKCOVER AUTHORITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES v PICTON TRUCK & TRAILER REPAIRS PTY LTD (DE-REGISTERED) & ANOR [2004] NSWCA 371

Reported Decision : 51 ACSR 102 (2004) 22 ACLC 1517

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : WORKCOVER AUTHORITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES v PICTON TRUCK & TRAILER REPAIRS PTY LTD (DE-REGISTERED) & ANOR [2004] NSWCA 371 HEARING DATE(S) : 23 September 2004 JUDGMENT DATE : 15 October 2004

JUDGMENT OF : Mason P at 1; Sheller JA at 2; Ipp JA at 29 DECISION : Upon the appellant through its counsel undertaking; (a) to advise Mr M J M Smith, the reinstated liquidator of the first respondent, and ASIC when any proposed action of the applicant involving the company has finished; and (b) to indemnify Mr M J M Smith for any proper fees, costs and expenses associated with his reinstatement as liquidator of the company, including any subsequent de-registration of the company; 1. Appeal allowed; 2. The orders made by Gzell J on 18 September 2003 be set aside; 3. The registration of Picton Truck & Trailer Repairs Pty Ltd (De-registered) be reinstated; 4. The second respondent, Keith Richard Aiken, pay the appellant's costs of the appeal and of the proceedings below.

CATCHWORDS : APPLICATION FOR REINSTATEMENT - s601AH(2) Corporations Act 2001 - reinstatement sought for purpose of serving notice for reimbursement under s145 Workers Compensation Act 1987 in order to recover from culpable director - whether person aggrieved - whether in public interest - whether discretion to refuse application on grounds of delay by WorkCover Corporations Act 2001 LEGISLATION CITED : Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 Interpretation Act 1901 (Cth) Finance Facilities Pty Ltd v Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1971) 127 CLR 106 GIS Electrical Pty Ltd v Melsom (2003) 43 ACSR 481 CASES CITED : Liddell v Lembke (1994) 127 ALR 342 Northbourne Developments Pty Ltd v Reiby Chambers (1989) 19 NSWLR 434 Re Austral Group Investment Management Ltd [1993] 2 NZLR 692 WorkCover Authority of NSW - Appellant PARTIES : Picton Truck & Trailer Repairs Pty Ltd (De-registered) - First Respondent Keith Richard Aiken - Second Respondent FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40890/03 COUNSEL : D R Pritchard - Appellant M J Cohen - Second Respondent SOLICITORS : Turks Legal - Appellant Dignan & Hanrahan - Second Respondent