Lismore City Council v Ihalainen (No 2) [2014] NSWLEC 198

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Lismore City Council v Ihalainen (No 2) [2014] NSWLEC 198 Hearing dates: 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 November 2014, 1, 2, 3, 4, 18 December 2014 Decision date: 31 December 2014 Jurisdiction: Class 5 Before: Biscoe J Decision: Both proceedings are dismissed. Catchwords: ENVIRONMENTAL OFFENCES - three charges of offences against s 125 Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 of carrying out development on a rural property the subject of a development consent other than in accordance with the consent - one charge under s 120 of the Protection of Environment Operations Act 1997 of polluting waters by introducing soil into a natural watercourse - all charges relate to construction of a fire trail required by a condition of the consent - whether a condition of the consent required sediment control measures to be put in place prior to construction of the fire trail - whether the consent required alignment of the fire trail as shown on a site plan - whether the site plan was enclosed with and incorporated in the consent as an approved plan - whether a condition of the consent requiring the fire trail to comply with Section 4.3.3 Planning for Bushfire Protection 2001 required, during the construction of the fire trail, the installation and maintenance of appropriate drainage and erosion controls, that the fire trail be maintained in a serviceable condition by the owner of the land, and whether it must be trafficable in all weather conditions-whether the defendant polluted the waters of a Creek by causing sediment-laden stormwater runoff from the fire trail construction to enter the waters of a creek so as to change the physical condition of those waters. Legislation Cited: Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 ss 4, 76A(1)(b), 80(1),109E(3)(d), 125 Interpretation Act 1987 ss 5(2), 35 Local Government Act 1993 Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 ss 3(a), 3(d), 116, 120, 257, 258(1), Dictionary Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000 cl 162A(4) Cases Cited: Allandale Blue Metal Pty Ltd v Road and Maritime Services [2013] NSWCA 103, (2013) 195 LGERA 182 Auburn Municipal Council v Szabo (1971) 67 LGRA 427 Baulkham Hills Shire Council v Ko-Veda Holiday Park Estate Ltd [2009] NSWCA 160, (2009) 167 LGERA 395 Beckwith v R [1976] HCA 55, (1976) 135 CLR 569 Campbell v The Queen [1981] WAR 286, (1980) 2 A Crim R 157 Cann's Pty Ltd v Commonwealth (1946) 71 [1946] HCA 5, (1946) CLR 210 Cittadini v R [2009] NSWCCA 302 Deming No 456 Pty Ltd v Brisbane Unit Development Corp Pty Ltd [1983] HCA 44, (1983) 155 CLR 129 Environment Protection Authority v Bathurst City Council (1995) 89 LGERA 79 Environment Protection Authority v Moolarben Coal Operations Pty Ltd [2012] NSWLEC 65 Environment Protection Authority v Moolarben Coal Operations Pty Ltd (No 2) [2012] NSWLEC 80 Environment Protection Authority v Munters Pty Ltd (1997) 98 LGERA 279 Environment Protection Authority v Ravensworth Operations Pty Ltd [2012] NSWLEC 222 King Gee Clothing Company Pty Ltd v Commonwealth [1945] HCA 23, (1945) 71 CLR 184 Lismore City Council v Ihalainen [2013] NSWLEC 149 North Sydney Council v Moline; North Sydney Council v Tomkinson (No 2) [2008] NSWLEC 169 Royall v The Queen [1991] HCA 27, (1991) 172 CLR 378 Ryde Municipal Council v Royal Ryde Homes (1970) 19 LGRA 321 Samad v District Court of New South Wales [2000] NSWCA 344, (2000) 50 NSWLR 270 Scott v Causey [1907] HCA 80, (1907) 5 CLR 132 Stebbins v Lismore City Council (1988) 64 LGRA 132 Sydney Serviced Apartments Pty Ltd v North Sydney Municipal Council (No 2) (1993) 78 LGERA 404 Waugh v Kippen [1986] HCA 12, (1986) 160 CLR 156 Westfield Management Ltd v Perpetual Trustee Co Ltd [2006] NSWCA 245 Winn v Director-General of National parks and Wildlife [2001] NSWCA 17, (2001) 130 LGERA 508 Texts Cited: ANZECC, Australian Guidelines for Water Quality Monitoring and Reporting (2000) Chapter 4 Australian Oxford Dictionary (Oxford University Press, 1988) Landcom, Managing Urban Stormwater, Soils Construction (rev. 4th ed, 2006) NSW Rural Fire Service, Planning for Bushfire Protection (2001) Section 4.3 Pearce and Geddes, Statutory Interpretation in Australia (LexisNexis, 8th ed, 2014) [1.39], [4.56]-[4.57] The Macquarie Dictionary (Macquarie Library, 3rd ed, 1997) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Lismore City Council (Prosecutor) Jari Tapani Ihalainen (Defendant) Representation: COUNSEL: I Lloyd QC and S Nash (Prosecutor) T Howard SC (Defendant)