Chief Executive, Office of Environment and Heritage v Kyluk Pty Limited (No 3) [2012] NSWLEC 56

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Chief Executive, Office of Environment and Heritage v Kyluk Pty Limited (No 3) [2012] NSWLEC 56 Hearing dates: 16 - 23 February 2012 Decision date: 20 March 2012 Jurisdiction: Class 5 Before: Pain J Decision: The Defendant is convicted of the offence charged. See additional orders at [162] of judgment. Catchwords: SENTENCE - sentencing following plea of guilty to picking an endangered ecological community - objective factors - construction of Final Determination of Scientific Committee - whether expert reports prove extent of endangered ecological community cleared - whether aggravating factors in Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 apply to environmental offences at all and in light of later more detailed National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 provisions - mitigating factors - whether early plea of guilty entitling defendant to discount on penalty - no remorse proved - imposition of orders for restoration, to support specified environmental project and for publication in newspaper Legislation Cited: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 s 21A, s 22 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 s 2A, s 8A, s 118A(2), s 175B, s 194, s 200, s 203, s 205 National Parks and Wildlife Amendment Act 2010 Native Vegetation Act 2003 s 12(1) Native Vegetation Conservation Act 1997 (repealed) Protection of the Environment Administration Act 1991 s 6(2) Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 s 241 Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 s 3, Pt 2, Sch 1 Pt 3, s 24(1) Cases Cited: Axer Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority (1993) 113 LGERA 357 Bentley v BGP Properties Pty Ltd [2006] NSWLEC 34; (2006) 145 LGERA 234 Butler v Attorney-General (Vic) (1961) 106 CLR 268 Cabonne Shire Council v Environment Protection Authority [2001] NSWCCA 280; (2001) 115 LGERA 304 Director-General, Department of Environment and Climate Change v Calman Australia Pty Ltd [2009] NSWLEC 182 Cameron v R [2002] HCA 6; (2002) 209 CLR 339 Camilleri's Stock Feeds Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority (1993) 32 NSWLR 683 Chief Executive, Office of Environment and Heritage v Kyluk Pty Limited [2012] NSWLEC 22 Department of Environment and Climate Change v Sommerville; Department of Environment and Climate Change v Ianna [2009] NSWLEC 194 Director-General, Department of Environment and Climate Change v Calman Australia Pty Ltd [2009] NSWLEC 182 Director-General, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water v Forestry Commission of New South Wales [2011] NSWLEC 102 Director-General, Department of Environment and Climate Change v Hudson [2009] NSWLEC 4; (2009) 165 LGERA 256 Director-General, Department of Environment and Climate Change v Rae [2009] NSWLEC 137; (2009) 168 LGERA 121 Director-General, NSW Department of Industry & Investment v Mato Investments Pty Limited (No 4) [2011] NSWLEC 227 Director-General of the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water v Venn (No 2) [2011] NSWLEC 232 Director-General, Department of Environment and Climate Change v Walker Corporation Pty Ltd (No 4) [2011] NSWLEC 119 Director-General Department of Environment and Climate Change v Wilton [2008] NSWLEC 297 Elyard v R [2006] NSWCCA 43; (2006) 45 MVR 402 Environment Protection Authority v Big River Group Pty Ltd [2011] NSWLEC 80 Environment Protection Authority v Bituminous Products Pty Ltd [1999] NSWLEC 247 Environment Protection Authority v Sibelco Australia Limited [2011] NSWLEC 160 Environment Protection Authority v Sydney Water Corp Ltd, NSWLEC, Talbot J, 18 December 1996, unreported Environment Protection Authority v Waste Recycling and Processing Corporation [2006] NSWLEC 419; (2006) 148 LGERA 299 Environment Protection Authority v Werris Creek Coal Pty Ltd; Environment Protection Authority v Holley [2009] NSWLEC 124 Ferdinands v Commissioner for Public Employment (2006) 225 CLR 130 Garrett v Freeman (No 5) [2009] NSWLEC 1; (2009) 164 LGERA 287 Garrett v Dennis Charles Williams [2006] NSWLEC 785; (2006) 160 LGERA 115 Garrett v Williams [2007] NSWLEC 56 Gittany v Sutherland Shire Council [2006] NSWLEC 242; (2006) 145 LGERA 189 Gordon Plath of the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water v Lithgow City Council [2011] NSWLEC 8 Gosford City Council v Australian Panel Products Pty Ltd [2009] NSWLEC 77 Hardt v Environment Protection Authority [2007] NSWCCA 4; (2007) 156 LGERA 337 Hawkesbury City Council v Johnson; Hawkesbury City Council v Johnson Property Group Pty Limited (No 2) [2009] NSWLEC 6 Hili v R; Jones v R [2010] HCA 45; (2010) 204 A Crim R 434 Hoare v R [1989] HCA 33; (1989) 167 CLR 348 Kelly v Saadat-Talab [2008] NSWCA 213; (2008) 72 NSWLR 305 Markarian v R [2005] HCA 25; (2005) 228 CLR 357 Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs v Nystrom [2006] HCA 50; (2006) 228 CLR 566 Muldrock v R [2011] HCA 39 Newcastle City Council v Pace Farm Egg Products [2002] NSWLEC 66 Newcastle City Council v Pepperwood Ridge Pty Limited [2004] NSWLEC 218 Pittwater Council v Scahill [2009] NSWLEC 12; (2009) 165 LGERA 289 Plath v Fletcher [2007] NSWLEC 596 Plath v Hunter Valley Property Management Pty Limited [2010] NSWLEC 264 Plath v Rawson [2009] NSWLEC 178; (2009) 170 LGERA 253 Plath v Vaccount Pty Ltd t/as Tableland Timbers [2011] NSWLEC 202 R v AB [2011] NSWCCA 229 R v Borkowski [2009] NSWCCA 102; (2009) 195 A Crim R 1 R v Koloamatangi [2011] NSWCCA 288 R v McNaughton [2006] NSWCCA 242; (2006) 66 NSWLR 566 R v Olbrich [1999] HCA 54; (1999) 199 CLR 270 R v Pearson [2005] NSWCCA 116 R v Sharma [2002] NSWCCA 142; (2002) 54 NSWLR 300 R v Thomson; R v Houlton (2000) 49 NSWLR 383 R v Way [2004] NSWCCA 131; (2004) 60 NSWLR 168 R v Yorkshire Water Services Ltd [2002] 2 Cr App R (S) 13; [2002] Env LR 18 Re Wilcox; Ex parte Venture Industries Pty Ltd (1996) 66 FCR 511 Slack-Smith v Director-General of the Department of Land and Water Conservation [2003] NSWLEC 189; (2003) 132 LGERA 1 Sullivan v R; Skillin v R [2008] NSWCCA 296; (2008) 51 MVR 572 Terrey v Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water [2011] NSWLEC 141 VAW (Kurri Kurri) Pty Ltd v Scientific Committee [2003] NSWCA 297; (2003) 58 NSWLR 631 Texts Cited: BJ Preston, 'Principled Sentencing for Environmental Offences', a paper presented to the 4th International IUCN Academy of Environmental Law Colloquium, 16 - 20 October 2006 B Craze et al, Soil testing procedures Department of Conservation and Land Management Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water "The Native Vegetation of the Sydney Metropolitan Catchment Management Authority Area" (2009) Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water NSW DC Pearce and RS Geddes, Statutory Interpretation in Australia, 7th ed (2011) LexisNexis Butterworths M Tozer, "The native vegetation of the Cumberland Plain, western Sydney: systematic classification and field identification of communities" (2003) 8 Cunninghamia 1 Criminal Practice & Procedure NSW, LexisNexis Australia Category: Sentence Parties: Chief Executive, Office of Environment and Heritage (Prosecutor) Kyluk Pty Limited (Defendant) Representation: Mr J Glissan QC (Prosecutor) Mr S Littlemore QC with Ms P Lane (Defendant) Office of Environment and Heritage (Prosecutor) McGirr James Hall (Defendant) File Number(s): 50604 of 2011