Application of Willoughby City Council (as manager of the Talus Reserve Trust) & anor [2016] NSWSC 1717

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Application of Willoughby City Council (as manager of the Talus Reserve Trust) & anor [2016] NSWSC 1717 Hearing dates: 23 November 2015 and 3 February 2016 Date of orders: 05 December 2016 Decision date: 05 December 2016 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Brereton J Decision: The Talus Trust would not be justified in giving its consent to, or seeking and obtaining the Minister's consent to, the proposed sublease of the Talus Reserve to Love 'n Deuce Pty Ltd. Catchwords: EQUITY – trusts and trustees – applications to the court for advice and authority – application for judicial advice – by trustee of public trust – where issue subject of public controversy – where no contradictor – where issue in suit in other adversarial litigation – whether appropriate for judicial advice – held, inappropriate

REAL PROPERTY – crown lands – New South Wales – crown reserves – reserve for public recreation – whether demise of reserve to private club consistent with public recreation – held, it is not – secondary interests – whether opinion that such demise not materially harmful to use for reserved purpose reasonably open – held, it was not – whether grant which dominates or excludes reserved purpose is a secondary interest – held, it is not – subleases – whether lessee of crown reserve can grant sublease – held, it can so long as use under sublease is for reserved purpose or not materially harmful to use for reserved purpose. Legislation Cited: (CTH) Corporations Act 2001, s 601FC(2) (NSW) Crown Lands Consolidation Act 1913, s 28, s 37M, s 37P (NSW) Crown Lands and Other Acts (Reserves) Amendment Act 1974 (NSW) Crown Lands (Continued Tenures) Act 1989 (NSW) Crown Lands Act 1989, s 6, s 10, s 11, s 34AA, s 44, s 44AA, s 92, s 95, s 97A, s 98, s 98A, s 100, s 102, s 102B, s 103, s 186, Schedule 8, cl 1, cl 2, cl 4, cl 5, cl 59 (NSW) Crown Lands Amendment (Multiple Land Use) Act 2013 (NSW) Trustee Act 1925, s 63 Cases Cited: Astarra Asset Management Pty Ltd (in liq), In the matter of Purchas as Liquidator of [2011] NSWSC 91 Attorney-General v Cooma Municipal Council (1963) 63 SR(NSW) 287; (1962) 8 LGRA 111 Auspac Corporate Managers Pty Ltd v J Noble Pty Ltd [2003] NSWSC 548 Australian Pipeline Limited (2006) 60 ACSR 625 Bathurst CC v PWC Property Pty Limited (1998) 195 CLR 566 Brush Park Bowling Club Limited v Ryde Municipal Council (1970) 19 LGRA 380 Chow Cho-Poon, Re Estate late [2013] NSWSC 844 Council of the Municipality of Randwick v Rutledge (1959) 102 CLR 54 Cudgen Rutile (No 2) Pty Ltd v Chalk [1975] AC 520 Friends of Pryor Park Incorporated v Ryde City Council (1996) 91 LGERA 302 Harrison v Mills [1976] 1 NSWLR 42 International Art Holdings Pty Ltd (admin apptd), In the matter of; International Art Holdings Pty Ltd (admin apptd) & ors v Adams & ors [2011] NSWSC 164 Lenyco Pty Ltd, Application of [2010] NSWSC 1094 Lenyco Pty Ltd; In the matter of the Daquino Family Trust [2009] NSWSC 846 Macedonian Orthodox Community Church St Petka Incorporated v His Eminence Petar The Diocesan Bishop of Macedonian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand [2008] HCA 42; (2008) 237 CLR 66 MF Global Australia Ltd (in liq), In the matter of [2012] NSWSC 994 Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act v Bathurst Local Aboriginal Land Council [2009] NSWCA 138 Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act v New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council (Goomallee Claim) (2012) 84 NSWLR 219; [2012] NSWCA 358 North Sydney Council, Re (1997) 96 LGERA 227 Seaton v Mosman Municipal Council (1998) 98 LGERA 81 St Alder v Waverley Local Council [2010] NSWCA 22; (2010) 172 LGERA 147 State of New South Wales v Bardolph (1934) 52 CLR 455 Storey v Council of the Municipality of North Sydney (1970) 123 CLR 574 Swan Yacht Club Inc v Town of East Fremantle (2005) 30 WAR 193; [2005] WASCA 99 Uncle's Joint Pty Ltd, Application of [2014] NSWSC 321 Waverley Municipal Council v Attorney General (1979) 40 LGRA 419 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Willoughby City Council (as manager of the Talus Reserve Trust) (first plaintiff) Talus Street Reserve Trust (second plaintiff) Minister for Crown Lands (first intervener) Jaques Morschel Owens, Michael Scott Berneschi, Harriet Ingrid Owens, Madeleine Rose Owens & Desley Jane Creedy (second interveners) Representation: Counsel: B A Coles QC w A C Harding (plaintiffs) T Wong (first intervener) J B Owens (solicitor) (second interveners)