Curtis v Harden Shire Council [2012] NSWSC 757

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Curtis v Harden Shire Council [2012] NSWSC 757 Hearing dates: 13 - 17/02/2012 Decision date: 09 July 2012 Before: Fullerton J Decision: Verdict for the defendant Catchwords: NEGLIGENCE - road resurfacing works - driver fatality - whether Council failed to provide adequate signage - duty to exercise reasonable care - breach of duty of care - Traffic Control Plan - statutory defence under s 43A Civil Liability Act - special statutory power of a public authority - Wednesbury unreasonableness - traffic control facility - "but for" test - causation Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 Roads Act 1993 Road Transport (Safety and Traffic Management) Act 1999 Road Transport (Safety and Traffic Management) (Road Rules) Regulation 1999 Transport Administration Act 1988 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules Cases Cited: Adeels Palace Pty Ltd v Moubarak; Adeels Palace Pty Ltd v Bou Najem [2009] HCA 48; 239 CLR 420 Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd v Roads and Traffic Authority of New South Wales; Kelly v Roads and Traffic Authority of New South Wales [2010] NSWCA 328 Associated Provincial Picture Houses Ltd v Wednesbury Corp (Wednesbury case) [1948] 1 KB 223 Brodie v Singleton Shire Council; Ghantous v Hawkesbury Shire Council [2001] HCA 29; 206 CLR 512 Bromley London Borough Council v Greater London Council (1983) 1 AC 768 at 721 Commonwealth v Pharmacy Guild of Australia (1989) 91 ALR 65 Council of Civil Service Unions v Minister for the Civil Service (1985) AC 374 at 410 Curtis v Harden Shire Council [2012] NSWSC 84 Firth v Latham [2007] NSWCA 40 Flounders v Millar [2007] NSWCA 238 Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298 Lukacevic v Coates Hire Operations Pty Ltd [2011] NSWCA 112 Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs v Eshetu [1999] HCA 21; 197 CLR 611 Nguyen v Cosmopolitan Homes (NSW) Pty Ltd [2008] NSWCA 246 State for Education and Science v Tameside Municipal Borough Council (1977) AC 1014 Sydney South West Area Health Service v Stamoulis [2009] NSWCA 153 Category: Principal judgment Parties: John Curtis (Plaintiff) Danielle Paterson (2nd Plaintiff) Harden Shire Council (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: H Marshall SC / R Taylor (Plaintiffs) R Sheldon SC (Defendant) Solicitors: McCabe Partners (Plaintiffs) DLA Piper Australia (Defendant) File Number(s): 2007/293512 2007/293513