Gales Holdings Pty Limited v Tweed Shire Council [2013] NSWCA 382

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Gales Holdings Pty Limited v Tweed Shire Council [2013] NSWCA 382 Hearing dates: 5 June 2013 Decision date: 18 November 2013 Before: Emmett JA at [1]; Leeming JA at [276]; Sackville AJA at [284] Decision: (1) The appeal be allowed in part. (2) The cross-appeal be allowed in part. (3) The parties bring in short minutes of order giving effect to these reasons no later than 2 December 2013. (4) The parties file any submissions they wish to on the question of costs of the proceedings at first instance and of the appeal no later than 2 December 2013. [Note: The Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 provide (Rule 36.11) that unless the Court otherwise orders, a judgment or order is taken to be entered when it is recorded in the Court's computerised court record system. Setting aside and variation of judgments or orders is dealt with by Rules 36.15, 36.16, 36.17 and 36.18. Parties should in particular note the time limit of fourteen days in Rule 36.16.] Catchwords: NUISANCE - stormwater runoff onto appellant's land - whether unreasonable interference with appellant's use and enjoyment of its land - whether appellant tolerated alleged nuisance - relevance and effect of that toleration to whether nuisance committed

NUISANCE - whether damages in nuisance limited to consequences of the alleged nuisance that were reasonably foreseeable - whether advent of a protected species of frog was a reasonably foreseeable consequence of the alleged nuisance

STATUTORY DEFENCES - whether alleged nuisance by respondent council fell within an immunity under s 45 Civil Liability Act 2002 - whether council entitled to rely on good faith defences under s 733 Local Government Act 1993 and s 43A Civil Liability Act 2002 Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002, ss 43A, 45 Endangered Fauna (Interim Protection) Act 1991 Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, ss 5, 5A, 79B, 79C, 111, 112, Parts 4 and 5 Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) Local Government Act 1993, ss 59A, 733 National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974, s 118D Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997, ss 120, 142A Roads Act 1993 Supreme Court Act 1970, s 68 Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 Tweed Local Environmental Plan 2000 Tweed Vegetation Management Plan 1999 Cases Cited: AB v South West Water Services Ltd [1993] QB 507 Australian National Airlines Commission v Newman [1987] HCA 9; 162 CLR 466 Burnie Port Authority v General Jones Pty Ltd [1994] HCA 13; 179 CLR 520 Cambridge Water Co v Eastern Counties Leather Plc [1994] 2 AC 264 Commonwealth v Murray (1988) Aust Torts Rep 80-207 Council of the City of Liverpool v Turano [2008] NSWCA 270 Don Brass Foundry v Stead (1948) 48 SR (NSW) 482 Elston v Dore [1982] HCA 71; 149 CLR 480 Fennell v Robson Excavations Pty Ltd [1977] 2 NSWLR 486 Gartner v Kidman [1962] HCA 27; 108 CLR 12 Hargrave v Goldman [1963] HCA 56; 110 CLR 40 Mid Density Developments Pty Ltd v Rockdale Municipal Council [1993] FCA 408; 44 FCR 290 Mount Isa Mines Ltd v Pusey (1970) 125 CLR 383 North Sydney Council v Roman [2007] NSWCA 27; 69 NSWLR 240 Precision Products (NSW) Pty Ltd v Hawkesbury City Council [2008] NSWCA 278; 74 NSWLR 102 Stephens v Giovenco; Dick v Giovenco [2011] NSWCA 53 Sutherland Shire Council v Becker [2006] NSWCA 344; 150 LGERA 184 Texts Cited: Horace, Ars Poetica Aristophanes, The Frogs Category: Principal judgment Parties: Gale Holdings Pty Limited (Appellant) Tweed Shire Council (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: TF Robertson SC; M Green; JE Lazarus (Appellant) SR Donaldson SC; S Glascott (Respondent) Solicitors: Woolf Associates (Appellant) DLA Piper (Respondent) File Number(s): CA 2012/108238 Decision under appeal Citation: [2011] NSWSC 1128 Date of Decision: 2012-03-13 00:00:00 Before: Bergin CJ at Eq File Number(s): 2005/261912