Terranora Group Management Pty Ltd v Director-General Office of Environment & Heritage [2013] NSWLEC 198

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Terranora Group Management Pty Ltd v Director-General Office of Environment & Heritage [2013] NSWLEC 198 Hearing dates: 28, 29, 30 October 2013 Decision date: 21 November 2013 Jurisdiction: Class 4 Before: Biscoe J Decision: Proceedings dismissed with costs. Catchwords: JUDICIAL REVIEW - validity of Direction to carry out work to remedy unlawful clearing of threatened species under s 38 Native Vegetation Act 2003 - construction of s 38(2) and the Direction - whether limitations in s 38(2) on the types of work that can be directed are objective facts or objective jurisdictional facts for the Court to determine on the evidence before it, or are subjective for the decision-maker to assess - if subjective, whether decision-maker misconstrued s 38(2) or whether Direction was reasonably open to the decision-maker - or whether it was a reasonable and proportionate response to the unlawful clearing - if objective, whether applicant has shown that those facts were absent Legislation Cited: Local Government Act 1993 s 124 Migration Act 1958 (Cth) s 198A(1) National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 s 118A(2) Native Vegetation Act 2003 ss 38, 39 Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 s 91(1) Cases Cited: Arnold v Minister Administering the Water Management Act 2000 (No 6) [2013] NSWLEC 73 Australian Education Union v Lawler [2008] FCAFC 135, (2008) FCR 135 Bobolas v Waverley Council [2012] NSWCA 126, (2012) 187 LGERA 63 Corporation of the City of Enfield v Development Assessment Commission [2000] HCA 5, 199 (2000) CLR 135 Gedeon v Commissioner of the New South Wales Crime Commission [2008] HCA 43, (2008) 236 CLR 120 Huntlee Pty Ltd v Sweetwater Action Group Inc [2011] NSWCA 378, (2011) 185 LGERA 429 Joly Pty Ltd v Director-General of the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water [2009] NSWLEC 217 Joly Pty Ltd v Director-General, Dept of Environment, Climate Change and Water [2012] NSWCA 133, (2012) 187 LGERA 82 Marrickville Metro Shopping Centre Pty Ltd v Marrickville Council [2010] NSWCA 145, (2010) 174 LGERA 67 Minister for Immigration and Citizenship v Li [2013] HCA 18, (2013) 297 ALR 225 Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs v Eshetu [1999] HCA 21, (1999) 197 CLR 611 Plaintiff M70/2011 v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship [Malaysian Declaration Case] [2011] HCA 32, (2011) 244 CLR 144 Plath v Rawson [2009] NSWLEC 178, (2009) 170 LGERA 253 Precision Products (NSW) Pty Ltd v Hawkesbury City Council [2008] NSWCA 278, (2008) 74 NSWLR 102 Slack-Smith v Director-General, Department of Land and Water Conservation [2003] NSWLEC 189, (2003) 132 LGERA 1 Timbarra Protection Coalition Inc v Ross Mining NL [1999] NSWCA 8, (1999) 46 NSWLR 55 Walter Construction Group Ltd v Fair Trading Administration Corp [2005] NSWCA 65 Woolworths Ltd v Pallas Newco Pty Ltd [2004] NSWCA 422, (2004) 61 NSWLR 707 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Terranora Group Management Pty Ltd (Applicant) Director-General of the Office of Environment and Heritage (Respondent) Representation: COUNSEL: T Robertson SC (Applicant) E Muston and N Case (Respondent) SOLICITORS: Bolster & Co (Applicant) Office of Environment & Heritage (Respondent) File Number(s): 41035/12