L&B Linings Pty Ltd v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales [2011] NSWSC 474

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: L&B Linings Pty Ltd v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales [2011] NSWSC 474 Hearing dates: 14/03/2011, 15/03/2011 Decision date: 24 May 2011 Jurisdiction: Common Law - Administrative Law Before: Rothman J Decision: (i) Summons dismissed; (ii) The plaintiff pay the defendant's costs of and incidental to the proceedings, as agreed or assessed. Catchwords: ADMINISTRATIVE LAW - workers' compensation premiums - deemed worker assessment under Schedule 1 of the Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998 - no error of law or jurisdictional error - certiorari (or orders in the nature thereof) and declarations refused Legislation Cited: Home Building Act 1980 Industrial Arbitration Act 1940 Industrial Relations Act 1996 Workers Compensation Amendment (Insurance Reform) Act 2003 Workers' Compensation Act 1942 Workers Compensation Act 1987 Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998 Cases Cited: Australian Broadcasting Tribunal v Bond [1990] HCA 33; (1990) 170 CLR 321 Australian Gaslight Co v Valuer-General (1940) 40 SR (NSW) 126 Australian Mutual Provident Society v Allan (1978) 52 A.L.J.R. 407 Azzopardi v Tasman UEB Industries Limited (1985) 4 NSWLR 139 Bell Bros Pty Ltd v Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale [1969] HCA 63; (1969) 121 CLR 137 Campbelltown City Council v Vegan [2006] NSWCA 284; (2006) 67 NSWLR 372 Craig v South Australia [1995] HCA 58; (1995) 184 CLR 163 Fish v Solution 6 Holdings Limited [2006] HCA 22; (2006) 225 CLR Frauenfelder v Reid [1963] HCA 3; (1963) 109 CLR 42 Haberfield v Department of Veterans' Affairs as Delegate for Comcare [2002] FCA 1579 Haider v JP Morgan Holdings Aust Ltd Trading as JP Morgan Operations Australia Ltd [2007] NSWCA 158 Hollis v Vabu Pty Ltd [2001] HCA 44; (2001) 207 CLR 21 Humberstone v Northern Timber Mills [1949] HCA 49; (1949) 79 CLR 389 Kostas v HIA Insurance Services Pty Limited [2010] HCA 32; (2010) 241 CLR 390 Minister for Aboriginal Affairs v Peko-Wallsend Ltd [1986] HCA 40; (1986) 162 CLR 24 Minister for Immigration & Ethnic Affairs v Wu Shan Liang [1996] HCA 6; (1996) 185 CLR 259 Minister for Immigration and Citizenship v SZIAI [2009] HCA 39; (2009) 83 ALJR 1123 Minister for Immigration v Eshetu [1999] HCA 21; (1999) 197 CLR 611 Moir v Schrader [1936] HCA 69; (1936) 56 CLR 310 Neale v Atlas Products (Vic) Pty Ltd [1955] HCA 18; (1955) 94 CLR 419 NRMA Insurance Limited v Ainsworth [2011] NSWSC 344 Parisienne Basket Shoes Pty Ltd v Whyte [1938] HCA 7; (1938) 59 CLR 369 Project Blue Sky Inc & Ors v Australian Broadcasting Authority [1998] HCA 28; (1998) 194 CLR 355 Public Service Board of NSW v Osmond [1986] HCA 7; (1986) 159 CLR 656 Re Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs; Ex parte S154/2002 [2003] HCA 60; (2003) 77 ALJR 1909 Ready Mixed Concrete (South East) Ltd v Minister of Pensions and National Insurance [1968] 2 QB 497 Riverina Wines Pty Ltd v Registrar of The Workers Compensation Commission of NSW & Ors [2007] NSWCA 149 Sinclair v Maryborough Mining Warden [1975] HCA 17; (1975) 132 CLR 473 Solution 6 Holdings Limited v Industrial Relations Commission of NSW [2004] NSWCA 200; (2004) 60 NSWLR 558 Soulenezis v Dudley (Holdings) Pty Ltd (1987) 10 NSWLR 247 Staging Connections P/L v Workcover Authority of New South Wales [2004] NSWCA 357 Stevens v Brodribb Sawmilling Company Pty Ltd [1986] HCA 1; (1986) 160 CLR 16 Sydney Ferries v Morton [2010] NSWCA 156 Turner v Stewardson [1961] WCR 169 Zuijs v Wirth Brothers Pty Ltd [1955] HCA 73; (1955) 93 CLR 561 Texts Cited: H Arthurs, Reinventing Labor Law for the Global Economy (2001) 22 Berkeley J. Emp. & Lab. L. 271 G Davidov, The (Changing?) Idea of Labour Law (2007) 146 International Labour Review 311 G Davidov and B Langille, Boundaries and Frontiers of Labour Law: Goals and Means in the Regulation of Work (2006) Heart Publishing (in particular A Trebilcock, Using Development Approaches to Address the Challenge of the Informal Economy for Labour Law at 63-76) M Freedland, Application of Labour and Employment Law Beyond the Contract of Employment (2007) 146 International Labour Review 3 M Freedland, The Personal Employment Contract (2003), Oxford University Press J Fudge and R Owens, Precarious Work, Women and the New Economy: The Challenge to Legal Norms (2006) Hart Publishing R Owens and J Riley, The Law of Work (2007) OUP A Stewart, Redefining Employment? Meeting the Challenge of Contract and Agency Labour (2002) 15 AJLL 246 K Stone, Flexibilisation, Globalisation and Privatisation: Three Challenges to Labour Rights in Our Time, GALS Working Paper (2005) K Stone, From Widgets to Digits: Employment Regulation for the Changing Workplace (2004) Cambridge University Press Category: Principal judgment Parties: L&B Linings Pty Ltd (Plaintiff) WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: