Rockdale City Council v Micro Developments Pty Ltd [2008] NSWCA 128

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION: Rockdale City Council v Micro Developments Pty Ltd [2008] NSWCA 128

HEARING DATE(S): 18 March 2008

JUDGMENT DATE: 5 June 2008

JUDGMENT OF: Giles JA at 1; Hodgson JA at 119; Campbell JA at 120

DECISION: Appeal and cross-appeal dismissed.

CATCHWORDS: Negligence - council misstates zoning of property - property developer purchases it - can not develop for home units - retains property - years later zoning changed and property developed - assessment of developer's loss - claimed money tied up in property and unable to carry out a series of developments - whether developer's retention of property was failure to mitigate- whether reduction in development activities due to money being tied up in property - open to trial judge to make broad assessment of loss - other issues concerning tax and interest as part of assessment.

CATEGORY: Principal judgment

Banco de Portugal v Waterlow & Sons Ltd (1932) AC 452; Bowen v Blair (1933) VLR 398; Chappel v Hart [1998] HCA 95; (1998) 195 CLR 232; Dodds Family Investments Pty Ltd v Lane Industries Pty Ltd [1933] FCA 259; 26 IPR 261; Fink v Fink (1946) 74 CLR 127; Jazabas Pty Ltd v City of Botany Bay Council [2000] NSWSC 58; CASES CITED: Malec v J C Hutton Pty Ltd (1990) 169 CLR 368; Patel v Hooper & Jackson (1999) 1 WLR 1792; Rosenberg v Percival [2001] HCA 18; (2001) 205 CLR 434; Sacher Investments Pty Ltd v Forma Stereo Consultants Pty Ltd (1976) 1 NSWLR 5; Sellers v Adelaide Petroleum NL (1992) 179 CLR 332; Seltsam Pty Ltd v McNeill [2006] NSWCA 158; (2006) 4 DDCR 1; State of New South Wales v Moss [2000] NSWCA 13; (2000) 54 NSWLR 536; Vairy v Wyong Shire Council [2005] HCA 62; (2005) 223 CLR 422.