Castle Constructions Pty Ltd v North Sydney Council [2007] NSWCA 164

Reported Decision: 155 LGERA 52 Appeal Outcome: Special leave application discontinued - 4 October 2007

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION: Castle Constructions Pty Ltd v North Sydney Council [2007] NSWCA 164

HEARING DATE(S): 5 April 2007

JUDGMENT DATE: 27 July 2007

JUDGMENT OF: Tobias JA at 1; Basten JA at 104; Bell J at 143

DECISION: (a) Appeal allowed; (b) Set aside Order 2 made by Talbot J on 3 August 2006 and in lieu thereof order that the proceedings be remitted to a Commissioner other than the Senior Commissioner for determination in accordance with the reasons of Talbot J as varied by the reasons of the Court of Appeal to the effect that cl 30 of North Sydney Local Environmental Plan 2001 shall have no application to that determination; (c) Order (b) to take effect as of 3 August 2006; (d) The respondent to pay the appellant's costs of the summons for leave to appeal and of the appeal

CATCHWORDS: LOCAL ENVIRONMENT PLAN – Interpretation – Whether building height provisions are inconsistent – North Sydney Local Environment Plan 2001 cll 28A, 28D, 29, 30, 31, 32 - LAND AND ENVIRONMENT COURT – Appeals – Apprehended bias – Where Senior Commissioner expressed strong opposition to the application – Whether matter should be remitted to a Commissioner other than the Senior Commissioner

Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 Land and Environment Court Act 1979 LEGISLATION CITED: North Sydney Local Environment Plan 2001 Supreme Court Act 1970 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005

Antoun v The Queen (2006) 80 ALJR 497 [2006] HCA 2 Baulkham Hills Shire Council v Basemount Pty Ltd (2003) 126 LGERA 339 [2003] NSWCA 189 Castle Construction Pty Ltd v North Sydney Council [2006] NSWLEC 5 Castle Construction Pty Ltd v North Sydney Council [2006] NSWLEC 468 Coffs Harbour Environment Centre Inc v Minister for Planning & Anor (1994) 84 LGERA 324 Collector of Customs v Agfa-Gevaert Ltd (1995-1996) 186 CLR 389 [1996] HCA 36 Collector of Customs v Pozzolanic Enterprises Pty Ltd (1993) 43 FCR 280 [1993] FCA 456 Ebner v Official Trustee in Bankruptcy (2000) 205 CLR 337 [2000] HCA 63 Emanuele v Australian Securities Commission (1997) 188 CLR 114 [1997] HCA 20 Ferdinands v Commissioner for Public Employment (2006) 225 CLR 130 CASES CITED: [2006] HCA 5 Hartley Poynton Ltd v Alley (2005) 11 VR 568 [2005] VSCA 53 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499 Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs v Wang (2003) 215 CLR 518 [2003] HCA 11 Rajski v Wood (1989) 18 NSWLR 512 Re Refugee Review Tribunal Ex parte Aala (2000) 204 CLR 82 [2000] HCA 57 Roads and Traffic Authority v Damjanovic (2006) 146 LGERA 403 [2006] NSWCA 166 Seltsam Pty Limited v Ghaleb (2005) 3 DDCR 1 [2005] NSWCA 208 Smith v New South Wales Bar Association (1992) 176 CLR 256 Stead v State Government Insurance Commission (1986) 161 CLR 141 Sweedman v Transport Accident Commission (2006) 224 ALR 625 [2006] HCA 8