Connell v Santos NSW Pty Limited [2014] NSWLEC 1

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Connell v Santos NSW Pty Limited [2014] NSWLEC 1 Hearing dates: 18 December 2013 Decision date: 10 January 2014 Jurisdiction: Class 5 Before: Preston CJ Decision: Orders as set out at [174] - [178] Catchwords: ENVIRONMENTAL OFFENCES - failure to report spill incident that threatened material harm to the environment and failures to accurately report compliance against petroleum operations plan - defendant subsequently subject to corporate takeover and under new management - sentencing - objective circumstances of the offence - low level of environmental harm - risk of harm to the environment clearly foreseeable - practical measures could and should have been taken to prevent harm - defendant had control over causes that gave rise to the offences - subjective circumstances of case and mitigating factors - prior conviction for offence other than an environmental offence - defendant, as currently constituted, of good character - remorse demonstrated - plea of guilty entered at first available opportunity - defendant entitled to lesser penalty on basis that it provided assistance to prosecutor in relation to investigation of offence and conduct of the proceedings - purposes of sentencing - need for general deterrence but not specific deterrence - first prosecutions under the relevant statutory provision - consideration of need for consistency in sentencing - defendant convicted of offences as charged - fines imposed - defendant to pay prosecutor's costs and moiety orders made Legislation Cited: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 ss 3A, 21A, 22, 23 Crimes Act 1990 s 316 Fines Act 1996 s 122 Interpretation Act 1987 s 30 Petroleum (Onshore) Act 1991 ss 3, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 21, 23, 74, 75, 77, 136A Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 sch 2 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 Camilleri's Stock Feeds Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority (1993) 32 NSWLR 683 Chief Executive of the Office of Environment and Heritage v Rinaldo (Nino) Lani [2012] NSWLEC 115 Elias v R; Issa v R [2013] HCA 31; (2013) 298 ALR 637 Environment Protection Authority v Caltex Australia Petroleum Pty Ltd [2007] NSWLEC 647 Environment Protection Authority v Centennial Newstan Pty Ltd [2006] NSWLEC 732 Environment Protection Authority v Djura [2012] NSWLEC 122 Environment Protection Authority v Hargreaves (No 2) [2003] NSWLEC 15; (2003) 124 LGERA 57 Environment Protection Authority v Peters [2006] NSWLEC 612; (2006) 153 LGERA 238 Environment Protection Authority v Waste Recycling and Processing Corporation [2006] NSWLEC 419; (2006) 148 LGERA 299 Garrett v Williams [2006] NSWLEC 785; (2006) 160 LGERA 115 Gittany Constructions Pty Ltd v Sutherland Shire Council [2006] NSWLEC 242; (2006) 145 LGERA 189 Hili v The Queen [2010] HCA 45; (2010) 242 CLR 520 LB v R [2013] NSWCCA 70 Minister for Planning v Moolarben Coal Mines Pty Ltd [2010] NSWLEC 147; (2010) 175 LGERA 93 Nash v Eastern Star Gas Ltd [2012] NSWIRComm 75 R v Ellis (1986) 6 NSWLR 603 R v Holder [1983] 3 NSWLR 245 R v Johnson [2004] NSWCCA 76 R v MAK; R v MSK [2006] NSWCCA 381; (2006) 167 A Crim R 159 R v McNaughton [2006] NSWCCA 242; (2006) 66 NSWLR 566 R v Olbrich [1999] HCA 54; (1999) 199 CLR 270 R v Rushby [1977] 1 NSWLR 594 R v Shankley [2003] NSWCCA 253 R v Thomson; R v Houlton [2000] NSWCCA 309; (2000) 49 NSWLR 383 R v Wickham [2004] NSWCCA 193 Raad v R [2011] NSWCCA 138; (2011) 220 A Crim R 471 Veen v R (No 2) [1988] HCA 14; (1988) 164 CLR 465 Texts Cited: A Ashworth, Sentencing and Criminal Justice (4th ed, Cambridge University Press, 2005) S J Odgers SC, Sentence (Longueville Books, 2012) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Rachel Connell (Prosecutor) Santos NSW Pty Ltd (Defendant) Representation: Mr S J Rushton SC with Ms S G Callan (Prosecutor) Mr D Jordan SC with Ms K J Edwards (Defendant) Crown Solicitor's Office (Prosecutor) Ashurst Australia (Defendant) File Number(s): 50435-50438 of 2013 Publication restriction: No