Manly Council v Leech [2015] NSWLEC 149

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Manly Council v Leech [2015] NSWLEC 149 Hearing dates: 24 August 2015 - 4 September 2015 Date of orders: 17 September 2015 Decision date: 17 September 2015 Jurisdiction: Class 5 Before: Biscoe J Decision: In matter 50837/14: (1) The defendant is acquitted of the offence charged. (2) The summons is dismissed. Catchwords: ENVIRONMENTAL OFFENCES – whether project architect carried out development, namely construction of external stairs down the side of a cliff in a penguin critical habitat area, that required development consent other than in accordance with a development consent that was in force, by directing the builder to construct the stairs or by reason of the extent of his control over the builder. Legislation Cited: Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 ss 76A(1), 96, 121B, 121D, 121H, 121ZL, 125(1), 149B Local Government Act 1993 s 124 Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 s 91 Cases Cited: Bobolas v Waverley Council [2012] NSWCA 126, 187 LGERA 63 George v Rockett [1990] HCA 26, 170 CLR 104 Kempsey Shire Council v Slade [2015] NSWLEC 135 Leichhardt Council v Geitonia Pty Ltd (No 6) [2015] NSWLEC 51 Manly Council v Horizon Habitats Pty Limited [2015] NSWLEC 15 Mosman Municipal Council v Keesing [2006] NSWLEC 836 North Sydney Council v Moline (No 2); North Sydney Council v Tomkinson [2008] NSWLEC 169 Poche and Anor v Manly Council [2014] NSWLEC 1274 Rafailidis v Camden Council [2015] NSWCA 185 State of New South Wales v Corbett [2007] HCA 32, 230 CLR 606 Terranora Group Management Pty Ltd v Director-General Office of Environment and Heritage [2013] NSWLEC 198, 200 LGERA 1 Texts Cited: G E Del Pont, Law of Agency (LexisNexis Butterworths, 3rd ed, 2014) Peter Watts & F M B Reynolds, Bowstead and Reynolds on Agency (Thomson Reuters, 20th ed, 2014) Category: Principal judgment Parties: 50836/14, 50837/14 Manly Council (Prosecutor) Denis John Leech (Defendant)