Environment Protection Authority v Warkworth Mining Limited [2017] NSWLEC 107

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Environment Protection Authority v Warkworth Mining Limited [2017] NSWLEC 107 Hearing dates: 3 August 2017 Date of orders: 25 August 2017 Decision date: 25 August 2017 Jurisdiction: Class 5 Before: Moore J Decision: Orders at [115] Catchwords: PROSECUTION - breach of Environment Protection Licence condition - plea of guilty - agreed facts demonstrate plea appropriate - Defendant convicted of offence charged PROSECUTION - failure of stormwater detention dam - failure caused discharge of sediment-laden water - assessment of seriousness of the offending conduct - offending conduct toward the top of the low range of seriousness PENALTY - discount for early plea - starting penalty of $75,000 - total discount of 33% appropriate (including discount for the early guilty plea) - penalty of $50,00 to be diverted to the Environmental Trust established under the Environmental Trust Act 1998 PENALTY - publication order - utility of publication order for general deterrence - no agreement between parties as to terms of notice for publication - Prosecutor's terms of notice adopted - order made specifying newspapers in which the notice is to be published - order made specifying size and manner of publication - order made requiring notices to be filed with the Court as well as provided to the Prosecutor Legislation Cited: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999, ss 3, 21A and 22 Environmental Trust Act 1998 Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997, ss 64(1), 241, 250(1)(a) and (e) Protection of the Environment Operations Amendment Act 2005 Cases Cited: Camilleri's Stock Feeds Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority (1993) 32 NSWLR 683 Chief Executive, Office of Environment and Heritage v Ausgrid (2013) 199 LGERA 1; [2013] NSWLEC 51 Chief Executive of the Office of Environment and Heritage v Bombala Investments Pty Ltd (2013) 199 LGERA 236; [2013] NSWLEC 185 Environment Protection Authority v Clarence Colliery Pty Ltd; Chief Executive, Office of Environment and Heritage v Clarence Colliery Pty Ltd [2017] NSWLEC 82 Environment Protection Authority v Dyno Nobel Asia Pacific Pty Ltd [2017] NSWLEC 64 Environment Protection Authority v Elf Farm Supplies Pty Ltd [2017] NSWLEC 60 Environment Protection Authority v Huntsman Corporation Pty Ltd (No 4) [2011] NSWLEC 39 Environment Protection Authority v P&M Quality Smallgoods Pty Ltd; Environment Protection Authority v JBS Australia Pty Limited [2017] NSWLEC 89 Environment Protection Authority v Terrace Earthmoving Pty Ltd [2016] NSWLEC 158 Environment Protection Authority v Timber Industries Ltd [2001] NSWLEC 25 Environment Protection Authority v Waste Recycling and Processing Company 148 LGERA 299; [2006] NSWLEC 419 EPA v Barnes [2006] NSWCCA 246 EPA v Causmag Ore Company [2015] NSWLEC 58 EPA v Environmental Treatment Solutions Pty Ltd [2015] NSWLEC 160 EPA v Truegain Pty Ltd (No 4) [2015] NSWLEC 179 Markarian v The Queen (2005) 228 CLR 357; [2005] HCA 25 Plath v Rawson (2009) 170 LGERA 253; [2009] NSWLEC 178 R v Thompson; R v Houlton 49 NSWLR 383; [2000] NSWCCA 309 Secretary, Department of Planning and Environment v AGL Energy Limited; Secretary, Department of Planning and Environment v AGL Upstream Infrastructure investments Pty Limited [2017] NSWLEC 2 Veen v The Queen (1979) 143 CLR 458; [1979] HCA 7 Veen v The Queen (No 2) (1988) 164 CLR 465; [1988] HCA 14 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Environment Protection Authority (Prosecutor) Warkworth Mining Limited (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Mr S Davey, solicitor (Prosecutor) Mr C Ireland, barrister (Defendant)