Director-General, Department of Environment and Climate Change v Hudson (No 2) [2015] NSWLEC 110

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Director-General, Department of Environment and Climate Change v Hudson (No 2) [2015] NSWLEC 110 Hearing dates: 4, 5, 17 and 21 June 2013 Date of orders: 10 July 2015 Decision date: 10 July 2015 Jurisdiction: Class 5 Before: Pepper J Decision: See orders at [247] Catchwords: ENVIRONMENTAL OFFENCES: unlawful clearing of native vegetation – failure to comply with a statutory notice to provide information and materials – conviction upheld on appeal – sentence overturned on appeal – sentencing principles – objective factors – serious environmental harm – subjective factors – no plea of guilty – totality principle – extra-curial punishment – liability for costs on remitter – liability for costs at first instance. Legislation Cited: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999, ss 3, 3A, 21A, 22, 23 Criminal Appeal Act 1912, ss 2, 5AA, 5AB,12, 17 Criminal Procedure Act 1986, ss 257B, 257G Fines Act 1996, s 6 Land and Environment Court Act 1979, s 6 National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974, s 118D Native Vegetation Act 2003, ss 3, 11, 12, 19, 20, 22, 36 Noxious Weeds Act 1993 Cases Cited: Alameddine v The Queen [2006] NSWCCA 317 Axer Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority (1993) 113 LGERA 357 Bentley v BGP Properties Pty Ltd [2006] NSWLEC 34; (2006) 145 LGERA 234 Cabonne Shire Council v Environment Protection Authority [2001] NSWCCA 280; (2001) 115 LGERA 304 Cameron v Eurobodalla Shire Council [2006] NSWLEC 47; (2006) 146 LGERA 349 Camilleri's Stock Feeds Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority (1993) 32 NSWLR 683 Cessnock City Council v Quintaz Pty Ltd [2010] NSWLEC 3; (2010) 172 LGERA 52 Christodoulou v R [2008] NSWCCA 102 Connell v Santos NSW Pty Ltd [2014] NSWLEC 1; (2014) 199 LGERA 84 Corbyn v Walker Corporation [2012] NSWLEC 75; (2012) 186 LGERA 442 D'Anastai v Environment Protection Authority [2010] NSWLEC 260; (2010) 181 LGERA 412 Garrett On Behalf of the Director-General of the Department of Conservation and Environment v House [2006] NSWLEC 492 Director-General, Department of Environment and Climate Change v Calman Australia Pty Ltd [2009] NSWLEC 182 Gordon Plath of the Department of Environment and Climate Change v Fish [2010] NSWLEC 144; (2010) 179 LGERA 386 Director-General of the Department of Environment and Climate Change v Hudson [2009] NSWLEC 4; (2009) 165 LGERA 265 Director-General, Department of Environment and Climate Change v Mura [2009] NSWLEC 2 Director-General, Department of the Environment and Climate Change v Olmwood (No 2) [2010] NSWLEC 100; (2010) 173 LGERA 366 Director-General of the Department of Environment and Climate Change v Rae [2009] NSWLEC 137 Director-General, Department of Environment and Climate Change v Walker Corporation Pty Limited (No 4) [2011] NSWLEC 119 Director-General, Department of the Environment, Climate Change and Water v Ian Colley Earthmoving Pty Ltd [2010] NSWLEC 102 Director-General of the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water v Graymarshall Pty Ltd (No 2) [2011] NSWLEC 149 Director-General, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water v Linklater [2011] NSWLEC 30 Director-General, Department of Environment Climate Change and Water v Vin Heffernan Pty Limited [2010] NSWLEC 200 Environment Protection Authority v Aargus Pty Ltd; Kariotoglou; Kelly [2013] NSWLEC 19 Environment Protection Authority v Australian Waste Recyclers 1 Pty Ltd [2005] NSWLEC 739 Environment Protection Authority v Barnes [2006] NSWCCA 246 Environment Protection Authority v Gardner [1997] NSWLEC 169 Environment Protection Authority v Moolarben Coal Operations Pty Ltd [2012] NSWLEC 65 Environment Protection Authority v Orica Australia Pty Ltd (the Hexavalent Chromium Incident) [2014] NSWLEC 106 Environment Protection Authority v Orica Australia Pty Ltd (the Nitric Acid Air Lift Incident) [2014] NSWLEC 103; (2014) 206 LGERA 239 Environment Protection Authority v Queanbeyan City Council (No 3) [2012] NSWLEC 220; (2012) 225 A Crim R 113 Environment Protection Authority v M A Roche Group Pty Ltd; Environment Protection Authority v Roche [2013] NSWLEC 191 Environment Protection Authority v Snowy Hydro Limited [2008] NSWLEC 264; (2008) 162 LGERA 273 Environment Protection Authority v Tea Garden Farms Pty Ltd [2012] NSWLEC 89 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 Limited v Sutherland Shire Council [2006] NSWLEC 242; (2006) 145 LGERA 189 Gore v The Queen; Hunter v The Queen [2010] NSWCCA; (2010) 208 A Crim R 353 Harris v Harrison [2014] NSWCCA 84; (2014) 86 NSWLR 422 Hili v The Queen; Jones v The Queen [2010] HCA 45; (2010) 242 CLR 520 Hudson v Director-General, Department of Environment Climate Change and Water [2012] NSWCCA 92; (2012) 187 LGERA 207 Latoudis v Casey [1990] HCA 59; (1990) 170 CLR 534 Lee v Office of Environment and Heritage [2012] NSWLEC 9 Markarian v The Queen [2005] HCA 25; (2005) 228 CLR 357 Muldrock v R [2011] HCA 39; (2011) 244 CLR 120 Chief Executive of the Office of Environment and Heritage v Humphries [2013] NSWLEC 213 Chief Executive, Office of Environment and Heritage v Kennedy [2012] NSWLEC 159 Chief Executive, Office of Environment and Heritage v Kyluck Pty Ltd (No 4) [2014] NSWLEC 74 Chief Executive of Office of Environment and Heritage v Newbigging [2013] NSWLEC 144 Chief Executive of the Office of Environment and Heritage v Rinaldo (Nino) Lani [2012] NSWLEC 115 Chief-Executive, Office of Environment and Heritage v Rummery [2012] NSWLEC 271 Chief Executive of the Office of Environment and Heritage, Department of Premier and Cabinet v Turnbull [2014] NSWLEC 150 Pearce v The Queen [1998] HCA 57; (1998) 194 CLR 610 Plath v Rawson [2009] NSWLEC 178; (2009) 170 LGERA 253 R v Morgan (1993) 70 A Crim R 368 R v Olbrich [1999] HCA 54; (1999) 199 CLR 270 R v Storey [1998] 1 VR 359; (1996) 89 A Crim R 519 R v Thomson; R v Houlton [2000] NSWCCA 309; (2000) 49 NSWLR 383 Regina v Daetz; Regina v Wilson [2003] NSWCCA 216; (2003) 139 A Crim R 398 Rummery v Chief Executive, Office of Environment and Heritage [2014] NSWCCA 106; (2014) 201 LGERA 428 Silvano v R [2008] NSWCCA 118; (2008) 184 A Crim R 593 Veen v The Queen [1979] HCA 7; (1979) 143 CLR 458 at 490 Veen v The Queen (No 2) [1988] HCA 14; (1988) 164 CLR 465 Category: Sentence Parties: Director-General, Department of Environment and Climate Change (Prosecutor) John Ross Hudson (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Mr E Muston and Mr C Brown (Prosecutor) Mr P King (Defendant)