Kembla Coal & Coke v Select Civil & Ors [2004] NSWSC 628

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Kembla Coal & Coke v Select Civil & Ors [2004] NSWSC 628 HEARING DATE(S) : 16 June 2004 JUDGMENT DATE : 23 July 2004

JUDGMENT OF : McDougall J at 1 DECISION : See paras [137] and [138] of judgment

CATCHWORDS : BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION - Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 - whether adjudication determination should be quashed - jurisdictional error - jurisdictional fact - whether adjudicator in jurisdictional error by determining amount due where no reference date to which payment claim related - whether existence of reference date a jurisdictional fact - whether adjudicator erred in law by determining application on basis that amendments to Act applied - whether defects liability period commenced "on" date of practical completion or "from" date of practical completion - meaning of time commencing "on" a day - whether validity of notice affected by illegibility - whether adjudicator erred in law by making allowance in determination for costs of preparation of claim - construction of "for" in "for construction work" in s 4 definition of "claimed amount" - whether adjudicator erred in law by allowing in determination amount for delay costs and delay damages - whether adjudicator erred in law by allowing in determination amount for compound interest - whether relief should be withheld on discretionary grounds when point not taken before adjudicator Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW) LEGISLATION CITED : Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act (1999) (NSW) Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment (Amendment) Act 2002 (NSW) Musico v Davenport [2003] NSWSC 977 Anisminic Ltd v Foreign Compensation Commission [1969] 2 AC 147 Craig v The State of South Australia (1995) 184 CLR 163 Abacus v Davenport [2003] NSWSC 1027 Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs v Yusuf (2001) 206 CLR 323 Timbarra Protection Coalition Inc v Ross Mining NL (1999) 46 NSWLR 55 Associated Provincial Picture Houses Ltd v Wednesbury Corporation [1948] 1 KB 223 Ex parte Mullen; Re Hood (1935) 35 SR (NSW) 289 Emag Constructions Pty Limited v High Rise Concrete Contractors (Aust) Pty Limited [2003] NSWSC 903 Ex parte Toohey's Ltd: Re Butler (1934) 34 SR (NSW) 277 CASES CITED : Zoan v Rouamba [2000] 1 WLR 1509 Trow v Ind Coope (West Midlands) Ltd [1967] 2 QB 899 Sidebotham v Holland [1895] 1 QB 378 Jemzone v Trytan [2002] NSWSC 395 Quasar Constructions v Demtech Pty Ltd [2004] NSWSC 116 Walter Construction Group Ltd v CPL (Surry Hills) Pty Ltd [2003] NSWSC 266 Paynter Dixon Constructions Pty Ltd v J F & C G Tilston Pty Ltd [2003] NSWSC 869 State Government Insurance Office (Queensland) v Crittenden (1966) 117 CLR 412 TransGrid v Walter Construction Group [2004] NSWSC 21 Exports Credits Guarantee Department v Universal Oil Products Co [1983] 1 WLR 399 Hungerfords v Walker (1989) 171 CLR 125 Kembla Coal & Coke Pty Limited (Plaintiff) PARTIES : Select Civil Pty Ltd (First Defendant) David Campbell-Williams (Second Defendant) FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 55034/04 M Christie/J M White (Plaintiff) COUNSEL : D T Miller (First Defendant) Submitting appearance (Second Defendant) SOLICITORS : Sparke Helmore (Plaintiff) Henry Davis York (First Defendant)