The Hills Shire Council v Kinnarney Civil & Earthworks Pty Ltd & Kinnarney [2012] NSWLEC 45

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: The Hills Shire Council v Kinnarney Civil & Earthworks Pty Ltd & Kinnarney [2012] NSWLEC 45 Hearing dates: 20 February 2012 to2 March 2012 Decision date: 16 March 2012 Jurisdiction: Class 5 Before: Biscoe J Decision: The defendants are convicted of the offences as charged under s 143(1) of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997. Catchwords: ENVIRONMENTAL OFFENCES:- charge that corporate defendant transported waste to a place that could not be lawfully used as a waste facility for that waste contrary to s 143(1) Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 - charge that pursuant to s 169(1) the other defendant, as a director of that corporation which contravened s 143(1), is taken to have contravened s 143(1) - elements of s 143(1) offence - defence of honest and reasonable mistake of fact that development consent had been granted for deposit of fill - defendants did not discharge evidentiary burden of establishing mistake of fact - defence not one of mistake of fact but of law - in any event defence not exculpatory because environment protection licence also required. Legislation Cited: Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 ss 4, 48, 76, 76A, 76B Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 ss 44(4), 48, 63, 143,169 Rural Fires Act 1997 ss 63,66,100C, 100F Waste Minimisation and Management Act 1995 s 63(1) Baulkham Hills Local Environmental Plan 2005 Cases Cited: Australian Solvent Recyclers Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority of New South Wales [2000] NSWLEC 10, 105 LGERA 324 Cambridgeshire & Isle of Ely County Council v Rust [1972] 2 QB 426 Coles Myer Ltd v Catt (1992) 58 SASR 298 CTM v The Queen [2008] HCA 25, 236 CLR 440 Director-General, Department of Environment and Climate Change v Jack & Bill Issa Pty Ltd (No 5) [2009] NSWLEC 232, 172 LGERA 225 Environment Protection Authority of NSW v Goulburn Wool Scour Pty Ltd [2004] NSWCCA 439, 137 LGERA 289 Environment Protection Authority v Hardt [2006] NSWLEC 438, 148 LGERA 61 Environment Protection Authority v HTT Huntley Heritage Pty Ltd [2003] NSWLEC 76, 125 LGERA 332 Environment Protection Authority v N (1992) 26 NSWLR 352 Environment Protection Authority v Shannongrove [2010] NSWLEC 162, 176 LGERA 31 Environment Protection Authority v Unomedical Pty Ltd (No 3) [2010] NSWLEC 198 Environmental Protection Authority v Hardt [2006] NSWLEC 438, 148 LGERA 61 G J Coles & Co Ltd v Goldsworthy (1985) 57 LGRA 122 Hardt v Environment Protection Authority [2007] NSWCCA 338, 156 LGERA 337 He Kaw Teh v The Queen [1985] HCA 43, 157 CLR 523 Iannella v French [1968] HCA 14, 119 CLR 84 Jiminez v The Queen [1992] HCA 14, 173 CLR 572 at 582 Mei Ying Su v Australian Fisheries Management Authority (No 2) [2008] FCA 1485, (2009) 251 ALR 135 Olsen v Grain Sorghum Marketing Board; Ex parte Olsen [1962] Qd R 580 Ostrowski v Palmer [2004] HCA 30, 218 CLR 493 Owen v Willtara Construction Pty Ltd [1998] NSWLEC 216, 103 LGERA 137 Power v Huffa (1976) 14 SASR 337 Strathfield Municipal Council v Elvy (1992) 25 NSWLR 745 The Hills Shire Council v Suciu [2009] NSWLEC 145, 168 LGERA 302 Thomas v The King [1937] HCA 83, 59 CLR 279 Tiger Nominees Pty Ltd v State Pollution Control Commission (1992) 25 NSWLR 715 Von Lieven v Stewart (1990) 21 NSWLR 52 Texts Cited: Glanville Williams, Criminal Law: The General Part, 2nd ed (1961), Stevens & Sons Category: Principal judgment Parties: The Hills Shire Council (Prosecutor)