Willoughby City Council -v- Roads and Maritime Services [2014] NSWLEC 6

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Willoughby City Council -v- Roads and Maritime Services [2014] NSWLEC 6 Hearing dates: 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28 November 2013 Decision date: 10 February 2014 Jurisdiction: Class 3 Before: Biscoe J Decision: Compensation determined in the sum of $12,746,000. Catchwords: COMPULSORY ACQUISITION - compensation for compulsory acquisition of council's open space passive recreation lands and easements utilised by acquiring authority for the Gore Hill Freeway and Lane Cove Tunnel - whether only nominal compensation payable to dispossessed council for bare legal interest in acquired lands held on trust for public charitable purposes - whether only the Attorney-General can bring proceedings and be awarded compensation for full fee simple value of such lands - whether only the Crown can bring proceedings and be awarded compensation for other acquired land subject to Crown grant reservation for public ways - whether the trusts and the reservation should be disregarded when assessing compensation as restrictions on the particular owner's use of the land - valuation by reference to comparable sales - whether certain open space lands or residential lands comparable and what adjustments should be made - whether dispossessed council in the market for residential land for open space for passive recreation - whether diminution in value of residual lands - interpretation and valuation of easements - whether mesne profits or damages for trespass recoverable as compensation re lost rental prior to acquisition date when acquiring authority was in possession. Legislation Cited: Charitable Trusts Act 1993 ss 5(1), 6 Conveyancing Act 1919 Schedule 4A Crown Land Consolidation Act 1913 (NSW) s 37AAA Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act 1991 ss 3(1)(a)-(b), 4, 10(1)(a), 11, 12, 19, 20(1)(b), 33, 37, 41-42, 45-46, 54, 55(a)-f), 56(1), 57, 59(a)-(f), 66 Land and Environment Court Act 1979 ss 19(e), 24 Landlord and Tenant Act 1899 s 12 Limitation Act 1969 s 14(1)(b) Local Government Act 1993 ss 26, 45(1), Schedule 7 cl 6(2)(b)Roads Act 1993 County of Cumberland Planning Scheme Ordinance Willoughby Local Environmental Plan 1995 Cases Cited: AMP Capital Investors Ltd v Transport Infrastructure Development Corp [2008] NSWCA 325, (2008) 163 LGERA 245 Attorney-General v Bishop of Worcester (1851) 9 Hare 328, (1851) 68 ER 530 Bathurst City Council v PWC Properties Pty Ltd [1998] HCA 59, (1998) 195 CLR 566 Besmaw Pty Ltd v Sydney Water Corporation [2001] NSWLEC 15, (2001) 113 LGERA 246 Blacktown Council v Roads and Traffic Authority of New South Wales [2006] NSWLEC 37 (2006) 144 LGERA 265 Broadway Pty Ltd v Lewis [2012] WASC 373 Caruana v Port-Macquarie-Hastings Council [2007] NSWLEC 109 Chief Executive, Department of Transport and Main Roads v The Young Men's Christian Association [2012] QCA 311, (2012) 191 LGERA 255 Chino Pty Ltd v Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation [2006] NSWLEC 768, (2006) 153 LGERA 136 Commissioners for Special Purposes of Income Tax v Pemsel [1891] AC 531 Corrie v MacDermott [1914] HCA 38, (1914) 18 CLR 511 Electricity Commission of New South Wales v Arrow (1994) 85 LGERA 418 George D Angus Pty Limited v Health Administration Corporation [2013] NSWLEC 212 Hampton v BHP Billiton Minerals Pty Ltd (No 2) [2012] WASC 285 Jones v Williams (1837) 150 ER 781 Lamru Pty Ltd v Kation Pty Ltd (1998) 44 NSWLR 432 Leichhardt Council v Roads and Traffic Authority (NSW) [2006] NSWCA 353, (2006) 149 LGERA 439 Leichhardt Council v Roads and Traffic Authority of New South Wales (No 3) [2009] NSWLEC 3 MacDermott v Corrie [1913] HCA 27, (1913) 17 CLR 223 Marrickville Council v Sydney Water Corporation [2013] NSWLEC 222 Marshall v Director-General, Department of Transport [2001] HCA 37, (2001) 205 CLR 603 Matthews v SPI Electricity Pty Ltd [2013] VSC 575 Mayor Councillors and Citizens of the City of Brighton v Road Construction Authority [1986] VR 255, (1985) 59 LGRA 262 Metropolitan Petar v Mitreski [2001] NSWSC 976 Minister for Mineral Resources v Brantag Pty Ltd [1997] NSWCA 206, (1997) 8 BPR Minister of State for the Interior v RT Co Pty Ltd (1962) 107 CLR 1 Penrith City Council v Sydney Water Corporation [2009] NSWLEC 2 Plenty v Dillon [1991] HCA 5, (1991) 171 CLR 635 Progressive Mailing House Pty Ltd v Tabali Pty Ltd [1985] HCA 14, (1985) 157 CLR 17 Roads & Traffic Authority v Peak [2007] NSWCA 66 Roads and Traffic Authority of New South Wales v Blacktown City Council [2007] NSWCA 20 Roads and Traffic Authority of New South Wales v Heawood [2002] NSWCA 99, (2002) 54 NSWLR 289 Save Little Manly Beach Foreshore Inc v Manly Council (No 2) [2013] NSWLEC 156 Sutherland Shire Council v Sydney Water Corporation [2008] NSWLEC 303 Sydney Sailors' Home v Sydney Cove Redevelopment Authority (1977) 36 LGRA 106 Sydney Water Corporation v Besmaw Pty Ltd [2002] NSWCA 147 Tempe Recreation Reserve Trust v Sydney Water Corporation [2013] NSWLEC 221 Tomasevic v Jovetic [2011] VSC 131 Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (NSW) v Monsen [1978] 1 NSWLR 575 Wade v New South Wales Rutile Mining Co Pty Ltd (1969) 121 CLR 177 Yeshiva Properties No 1 Pty Ltd v Marshall [2005] NSWCA 23, (2005) 219 ALR 112 Texts Cited: Dal Pont, Law of Charity, [14.25] Heydon and Leeming, Jacobs' Law of Trusts in Australia, (7th ed) [1067] Category: Principal judgment Parties: Willoughby City Council (Applicant) Roads and Maritime Services (Respondent) Representation: COUNSEL: P J McEwen SC and N M Eastman (Applicant) R P L Lancaster SC and N Owens (Respondent) SOLICITORS: Pikes & Verekers (Applicant) Corrs Chambers Westgarth (Respondent) File Number(s): 30990/11