Sutherland Shire Council v Benedict Industries Pty Ltd (No 4) [2015] NSWLEC 101

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Sutherland Shire Council v Benedict Industries Pty Ltd (No 4) [2015] NSWLEC 101 Hearing dates: 15 and 16 June 2015 Date of orders: 19 June 2015 Decision date: 19 June 2015 Jurisdiction: Class 5 Before: Pepper J Decision: Collateral challenge dismissed. Costs reserved. Catchwords: ENVIRONMENTAL OFFENCES: defendants' collateral challenge to validity of Tree and Bushland Preservation Order the subject of four charges – whether Order lawfully made by council under the relevant environmental planning instrument – whether by confining the manner of exercise of the power to approve an application for the removal of a tree or vegetation permission in writing the council acted outside the authority conferred on it by the relevant environmental planning instrument – whether the Order had been repealed by a later environmental planning instrument at the time of the commission of the offences – collateral challenge is dismissed – costs reserved.

STATUTORY INTERPRETATION: principles applicable to the construction of subordinate legislation – doctrine of severance. Legislation Cited: Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, ss 5(a), 125(1) Interpretation Act 1987, ss 32, 45 Local Government Act 1993, s 371 Sutherland Local Environmental Plan 2000, cl 13 Sutherland Shire Local Environmental Plan 2006, cls 4, 7 Sutherland Shire Tree and Bushland Preservation Order 2001 Cases Cited: Air Services Australia v Canadian Airlines International Limited [1999] HCA 62; (1999) 202 CLR 133 Allandale Blue Metal Pty Ltd v Road and Maritime Services [2013] NSWCA 103; (2013) 195 LGERA 102 Australian Tea Tree Oil Research Institute v Industry Research and Development Board [2002] FCA 1127; (2002) 124 FCR 316 Bank of New South Wales v Commonwealth (1948) 76 CLR 1 Birch v Australian Mutual Providence Society [1906] HCA 51; (1906) 4 CLR 324 Carbines Certain Lloyd's Underwriters v Cross [2012] HCA 56; (2012) 248 CLR 379 Codelfa Constructions Pty Ltd v State Rail Authority (1982) 149 CLR 337 Collector of Customs v Agfa ­– Gevaert Ltd [1996] HCA 36; (1996) 186 CLR 389 Commissioner of Taxation v Consolidated Media Holdings (ACN 009 071 167) Ltd [2012] HCA 55; (2012) 250 CLR 503 Driscoll v J Scott Pty Ltd (1976) 36 LGRA 159 Electricity Generation Corporation v Woodside Energy Ltd [2014] HCA 7; (2014) 251 CLR 640 Environment Protection Authority v Schon G Condon as liquidator for Orchid Holdings (NSW) Pty Ltd (in liq) [2014] NSWCA 149; (2014) 86 NSWLR 499 Ex parte Grinham; Re Sneddon (1959) 61 SR (NSW) 862 Flaherty (On behalf of Strathfield Council) v Columbia Nursing Homes Pty Ltd [2007] NSWLEC 148; (2007) 152 LGERA 383 Gray v Woollahra Municipal Council [2004] NSWSC 112 Harrington v Lowe [1996] HCA 8; (1996) 190 CLR 311 J Aron Corp v Newmont Yandal Operations Pty Ltd [2005] NSWSC 238 Kruse v Johnson [1898] 2 QB 91 Lee v New South Wales Crime Commission [2013] HCA 39 Liverpool City Council v Cauchi [2005] NSWLEC 675; (2005) 145 LGERA 1 Master Education Services Pty Ltd v Ketchell [2008] HCA 38; (2008) 236 CLR 101 Myer Queenstown Garden Plaza Pty Ltd v Corporation of the City of Port Adelaide (1975) 11 SASR 504 Pidoto v Victoria (1943) 68 CLR 87 Parks and Playgrounds Movement Inc v Newcastle City Council [2010] NSWLEC 231; (2010) 179 LGERA 346 Public Service Association and Professional Officers' Association Amalgamated Union of New South Wales v State of New South Wales [2014] NSWCA 116 Re Dingjan; Ex parte Wagner [1995] HCA 16; (1995) 183 CLR 323 Residual Assco Group Ltd v Spalvins [2000] HCA 33; (2000) 202 CLR 629 Resort Management Services Ltd v Noosa Shire Council (1993) 80 LGERA 265 Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust v South Sydney City Council [2002] HCA 5; (2009) 240 CLR 45 Selby v Pennings (1998) 102 LGERA 253 Shanahan v Scott (1957) 96 CLR 245 Southorn v Jovanovic (1987) 63 LGRA 277 Sportodds Systems Pty Ltd v New South Wales [2003] FCAFC 237; (2003) 133 FCR 63 Sutherland Shire Council v Benedict Industries Pty Ltd (No 3) [2015] NSWLEC 97 Tauszik v Gosford City Council [2006] NSWCCA 193; (2006) 146 LGERA 428 Taylor v The Owners – Strata Plan No 11564 [2014] HCA 9; (2014) 88 ALJR 473 Telstra Corporation Ltd v Australian Competition and Consumer Commissioner (2008) 176 FCR 153 Thiess v Collector of Customs [2014] HCA 13; (2014) 250 CLR 669 Widgee Shire Council v Bonney [1907] HCA 11; (1907) 4 CLR 977 Willing v Young (1974) 34 LGRA 162. Texts Cited: Macquarie Dictionary (on-line edition) Oxford English Dictionary (on-line edition) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Sutherland Shire Council (Prosecutor) Benedict Industries Pty Ltd (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Mr D Buchanan SC with Dr P Dwyer (Prosecutor) Mr T Howard SC with Mr C Ireland