Woollahra Municipal Council v Minister for Local Government [2016] NSWLEC 86

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Woollahra Municipal Council v Minister for Local Government [2016] NSWLEC 86 Hearing dates: 20 and 21 April, 18 and 23 May and 28 June 2016 Date of orders: 20 July 2016 Decision date: 20 July 2016 Jurisdiction: Class 4 Before: Preston CJ Decision: Orders as set out at [312] Catchwords: JUDICIAL REVIEW – proposal for amalgamation of local government areas – referral of proposal to Departmental Chief Executive for examination and report – inquiry required to be held – whether reasonable public notice given of the holding of inquiry – whether inquiry held in accordance with Act – whether examination and report on proposal in accordance with Act – whether an affected council denied procedural fairness by Departmental Chief Executive – review and comment on Departmental Chief Executive's report by Boundaries Commission – whether review conducted in accordance with Act – whether affected council denied procedural fairness by Boundaries Commission – publicly accessible material in support of proposal represented that analysis and modelling of consultant was independent – whether representations misleading – whether allegedly misleading representations invalidated statutory process of amalgamation Legislation Cited: Interpretation Act 1987 s 35(1) Local Government Act 1993 ss 204, 213, 218, 218A, 218B, 218C, 218D, 218E, 218F, 218F(1), 218F(2), 218F(6), 218F(7), 218F(8), 260, 261, 262, 263, 263(1), 263(2), 263(2A), 263(2B), 263(3), 263(5), 264, 265, 438U, 705, 706, Pts 1, 2 and 3 of Ch 9, Pt 8 of Ch 13, Pt 2 of Ch 17, Sch 2 Cases Cited: Akers v Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (1988) 20 FCR 363 Anderson v Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources [2006] NSWLEC 725; (2006) 151 LGERA 229 Annetts v McCann [1990] HCA 57; (1990) 170 CLR 596 Applicant S214 of 2002 v Attorney-General (Cth) [2004] FCA 1635; (2004) 40 AAR 155 Applicant VEAL of 2002 v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs [2005] HCA 72; (2005) 225 CLR 88 Arnold v Minister Administering the Water Management Act 2000 [2014] NSWCA 386 ASIC v Rich [2005] NSWSC 149; (2005) 190 FLR 242 Attorney-General for the State of Victoria v City of Geelong [1989] VR 641 B Johnson & Co (Builders) Ltd v Minister of Health [1947] 2 All ER 395 Bartzios v Leichhardt Municipal Council [1978] 1 NSWLR 7 Botany Bay City Council v Minister for Local Government [2016] NSWCA 74; (2016) 214 LGERA 173 Botany Bay City Council v The State of New South Wales and Minister for Local Government [2016] NSWSC 583 Bread Manufacturers of New South Wales v Evans [1981] HCA 69; (1981) 180 CLR 404 Briginshaw v Briginshaw [1938] HCA 34; (1938) 60 CLR 336 Bushell v Secretary of State for the Environment [1981] AC 75 Castle Constructions Pty Ltd v North Sydney Council [2008] NSWLEC 137 Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union v McCorkell Constructions Pty Ltd (No 2) [2013] FCA 446; (2013) 232 IR 290 Curragh Queensland Mining Limited v Daniel (1992) 34 FCR 212 Dunghutti Elders Council (Aboriginal Corporation) RNTBC v Registrar of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations [2011] FCAFC 88; (2011) 195 FCR 318 El Cheikh v Hurstville City Council [2002] NSWCA 173; (2002) 121 LGERA 293 Foster v Senator Vanstone [1999] FCA 1447 Friends of Turramurra Inc v Minister for Planning [2011] NSWLEC 128 Gales Holdings Pty Ltd v Minister for Immigration and Planning [2006] NSWCA 388; (2006) 69 NSWLR 156 Gold and Copper Resources Pty Ltd v Minister for Resources and Energy [2013] NSWLEC 66; (2013) 211 LGERA 196 Government Employees' Health Fund Ltd v Private Health Insurance Administration Council [2001] FCA 322; (2001) 65 ALD 377 Hillpalm Pty Ltd v Tweed Shire Council [2002] NSWLEC 17; (2002) 119 LGERA 86 Kioa v West [1985] HCA 81; (1985) 159 CLR 550 Lake Macquarie City Council v Australian Native Landscapes Pty Ltd [2015] NSWLEC 92 Litevale Pty Ltd v Lismore City Council (1997) 96 LGERA 91 McHugh Holdings Pty Ltd v Director General Communities NSW [2009] NSWSC 1359 Minister for Aboriginal Affairs v Peko-Wallsend Ltd [1986] HCA 40; (1986) 162 CLR 24 Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v MZYTS [2013] FCAFC 114; (2013) 230 FCR 431 Minister for Immigration and Citizenship v Maman [2012] FCAFC 13; (2012) 200 FCR 30 Minister for Immigration and Citizenship v SZGUR [2011] HCA 1; (2011) 241 CLR 594 Minister for Immigration and Citizenship v SZIAI [2009] HCA 39; (2009) 83 ALJR 1123 Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs v Haj-Ismail (1982) 57 FLR 133 Minister for Local Government v South Sydney City Council [2002] NSWCA 288; (2002) 55 NSWLR 381 Notaras v Waverley Council [2007] NSWCA 333; (2007) 161 LGERA 230 Oates v Attorney-General for the Commonwealth of Australia [2001] FCA 84; (2001) 181 ALR 559 Ogawa v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship [2011] FCA 1358; (2011) 199 FCR 51 Potato Marketing Board v Merricks [1958] 2 QB 316 Prasad v Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (1985) 6 FCR 155 Project Blue Sky Inc v Australian Broadcasting Authority [1998] HCA 28; (1998) 194 CLR 355 Rexstraw v Johnson [2003] NSWCA 287 Riverside Nursing Care Pty Ltd v Bishop [2000] FCA 1147; (2000) 100 FCR 519 Saeed v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship [2010] HCA 23; (2010) 241 CLR 252 Sharples v Minister for Local Government [2008] NSWLEC 328; (2008) 166 LGERA 302 Smith v Wyong Shire Council [2003] NSWCA 322; (2003) 132 LGERA 148 Sutherland Shire Council v Finch [1970] HCA 49; (1970) 123 CLR 657 Videto v Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (1985) 8 FCR 167 Waitemata County v Local Government Commission [1964] NZLR 689 Walsh v Parramatta City Council [2007] NSWLEC 255; (2007) 161 LGERA 118 Wei v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2015] HCA 51; (2015) 90 ALJR 213 X v University of Western Sydney [2014] NSWSC 82 Zentai v O'Connor (No 3) [2010] FCA 691; (2010) 187 FCR 495 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Woollahra Municipal Council (Applicant) Minister for Local Government (First Respondent) Dr Robert Lang (Second Respondent) Chief Executive, Office of Local Government (Third Respondent) Local Government Boundaries Commission (Fourth Respondent) Representation: Counsel: Dr C J Birch SC with Ms T L Phillips (Applicant) and Mr B W Walker SC with Ms T L Phillips (on 28 June 2016) (Applicant) Mr N C Hutley SC with Mr J J Hutton, Mr T E O'Brien and Mr D Birch (Respondents)