Harrison v Perdikaris [2015] NSWLEC 99

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Harrison v Perdikaris [2015] NSWLEC 99 Hearing dates: 26 May 2015 Date of orders: 27 May 2015 Decision date: 27 May 2015 Jurisdiction: Class 5 Before: Preston CJ Decision: Orders as at [115] Catchwords: OFFENCES AND PENALTIES – sentence – carrying out controlled activities in, on or under waterfront land without controlled activity approvals – offender counselled or procured contractors to increase capacity of two dams – objective seriousness of offences – no evidence that offences had impact on other persons' rights under the Water Management Act – environmental harm was of moderate seriousness – practical measures to avoid environmental harm not taken – foreseeability of risk of environmental harm – control over causes giving rise to the offences – offences committed intentionally and with knowledge of illegality – offences not committed for financial gain – moderate overall objective seriousness – subjective circumstances of offender – record of prior convictions not aggravating factor – delayed pleas of guilty – offender's genuine remorse for the offences – offender unlikely to reoffend – offender provided assistance to authorities – appropriate penalty is fine – offender ordered to pay prosecutor's costs Legislation Cited: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 ss 3A, 21A, 22, 23 Criminal Procedure Act 1986 ss 257B, 257G Fines Act 1996 s 122 Protection of the Environment Administration Act 1991 s 6(2) Rivers and Foreshores Improvement Act 1948 Water Act 1912 Water Management Act 2000 ss 3, 52, 53, 55, 91E(1), 91(2), 92, 95(1), 96, 97(4), 100(1), 329, 347,363B(b), 364A, cl 3(1)(d) of Sch 10, Pt 1 Ch 3, Div 2 Pt 3 Ch 3 Water Management (General) Regulation 2004 cl 31 Water Management (General) Regulation 2011 Pt 1, Sch 2 Cases Cited: Azzopardi v Gosford City Council [2002] NSWCA 234; (2002) 123 LGERA 118 Bentley v BGP Properties Pty Ltd [2006] NSWLEC 34; (2006) 145 LGERA 234 Boughey v The Queen [1986] HCA 29; (1986) 161 CLR 10 Director General, Department of Environment and Climate Change v Rae [2009] NSWLEC 137; (2009) 168 LGERA 121 Elias v The Queen [2013] HCA 31; (2013) 248 CLR 483 Environment Protection Authority v Anning (1998) 100 LGERA 354 Gartner v Kidman [1962] HCA 27; (1962) 108 CLR 12 Giorgianni v The Queen [1985] HCA 29; (1985) 156 CLR 473 Jugiong Quarries Pty Ltd v Water Administration Ministerial Corporation [1995] NSWLEC 74 Knezovic v Shire of Swan-Guildford [1968] HCA 38; (1968) 118 CLR 468 Lyons v Winter (1899) 25 VLR 464 Macag Holdings v Torrens Catchment Water Management Board [2000] SASC 115; (2000) 76 SASR 434 Matthews v Goulburn Wool Processors Pty Ltd (Supreme Court (NSW), Smart J, 6 November 1986, unrep) Morton v The Queen [2014] NSWCCA 8 Pace Farm Egg Products Pty Ltd v Newcastle City Council [2006] NSWCCA 403; (2006) 151 LGERA 260 R v Borkowski [2009] NSWCCA 102; (2009) 195 A Crim R 1 R v Dib [2003] NSWCCA 117 R v SLD [2003] NSWCCA 310; (2003) 58 NSWLR 589 R v Thomson; R v Houlton [2000] NSWCCA 309; (2000) 49 NSWLR 383 State Pollution Control Commission v Blayney (1991) 72 LGRA 221 State Pollution Control Commission v New South Wales Sugar Milling Co-operative Ltd (1991) 73 LGRA 86 Tillmanns Butcheries Pty Ltd v Australasian Meat Industry Employees' Union (1979) 42 FLR 331 Zouki v Water Administration Ministerial Corporation [2001] NSWLEC 258; (2001) 118 LGERA 229 Texts Cited: M Taylor & R Stokes, "Up the creek: What is wrong with the definition of a river in New South Wales?" (2005) 22 Environmental and Planning Law Journal 193 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Mr Russell Harrison (Prosecutor) Mr Christopher Perdikaris (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Mr D Jordan SC with Ms N L Sharp (Prosecutor) Mr T G Howard SC (Defendant)