Soukkar v Blacktown City Council [2017] NSWLEC 161

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Soukkar v Blacktown City Council [2017] NSWLEC 161 Hearing dates: 30 August 2017 Date of orders: 01 December 2017 Decision date: 01 December 2017 Jurisdiction: Class 6 Before: Molesworth AJ Decision: See orders at [159] Catchwords: APPEAL – appeal against sentence of $40,000 fine for offence of carrying out development in contravention of s 76B of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 – relevance of saving of effect of existing consents – relevance of allegedly erroneous planning advice given by council officers – objective seriousness of offence – low overall objective seriousness – subjective circumstances of offender – offender of good character, genuinely remorseful and unlikely to re-offend – whether dismissal of charge under s 10 of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 appropriate – appeal upheld Legislation Cited: Crimes (Appeal and Review) Act 2001, ss 3, 31, 34, 39, 62 Crimes (Appeal and Review) Amendment Act 2009 Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999, ss 3A, 10, 10A, 21A, 22 Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, ss 4, 5, 76, 76A, 76B, 106, 107, 109, 109B, 125, 125A, 125B, 125C; Div 10 of Pt 4 Fines Act 1996, s 6 Land and Environment Court Act 1979, ss 68, 77A Land and Environment Court Rules 2007, r 2.5 Local Government Act 1919 Miscellaneous Acts (Planning) Repeal and Amendment Act 1979, Sch 3 Cases Cited: Advanced Arbor Service Pty Ltd v Strathfield Municipal Council [2006] NSWLEC 485 Auburn Council v Nehme (1999) 106 LGERA 19; [1999] NSWCA 383 Bentley v BGP Properties Pty Ltd (2006) 145 LGERA 234; [2006] NSWLEC 34 Byres v Leichhardt Municipal Council [2006] NSWLEC 82 BYT Nominees Pty Ltd v North Sydney Council (2008) 161 LGERA 77; [2008] NSWLEC 164 Cameron v Eurobodalla Shire Council (2006) 146 LGERA 349; [2006] NSWLEC 47 Camilleri's Stock Feeds Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority (1993) 32 NSWLR 683 Chambers v Maclean Shire Council (2003) 57 NSWLR 152; [2003] NSWCA 100 Chief Executive of the Office of Environment and Heritage v Grant Wesley Turnbull [2017] NSWLEC 141 Chin v Ryde City Council (2004) 133 LGERA 312; [2004] NSWCCA 167 Cracknell and Lonergan Architects Pty Ltd v Leichhardt Municipal Council (2012) 193 LGERA 151; [2012] NSWLEC 194 Denning v Department of Environment and Conservation (2007) 153 LGERA 200; [2007] NSWLEC 258 Director-General of the Department of Environment and Climate Change v Rae (2009) 168 LGERA 121; [2009] NSWLEC 137 Elias v The Queen (2013) 248 CLR 483; [2013] HCA 31 Environment Protection Authority v Moolarben Coal Operations Pty Ltd [2012] NSWLEC 65 Franks v Woollahra Municipal Council [2007] NSWLEC 461 Gittany Constructions Pty Ltd v Sutherland Shire Council (2006) 145 LGERA 189; [2006] NSWLEC 242 Gore v The Queen (2010) 208 A Crim R 353; [2010] NSWCCA 330 Hawkesbury City Council v Johnson (No 2) (2009) 210 LGERA 34; [2009] NSWLEC 6 Heatscape Pty Ltd v Mahoney (No 2) (2016) 217 LGERA 332; [2016] NSWLEC 45 Hussain v Liverpool City Council [2014] NSWLEC 45 Kari & Ghossayn Pty Limited v Sutherland Shire Council (2006) 150 LGERA 231; [2006] NSWLEC 532 Ling Ling Zhu v Auburn Council [2009] NSWLEC 97 Markarian v The Queen (2005) 228 CLR 357; [2005] HCA 25 Mcllveen v Baiada (2003) 131 LGERA 129; [2003] NSWLEC 174 Miah v Canterbury City Council [2012] NSWLEC 193 Muldrock v The Queen (2011) 244 CLR 120; [2011] HCA 39 Pittwater Council v Scahill (2009) 165 LGERA 289; [2009] NSWLEC 12 R v Campbell [2014] NSWCCA 102 R v Morabito (1992) 62 A Crim R 82 R v Olbrich (1999) 199 CLR 270; [1999] HCA 54 R v Paris [2001] NSWCCA 83 R v Rahme (1989) 43 A Crim R 81 R v Thomson (2000) 49 NSWLR 383; [2000] NSWCCA 309 R v Wickham [2004] NSWCCA 193 Saffioti v Kiama Municipal Council (2017) 225 LGERA 136; [2017] NSWLEC 65 Sinkovich v Attorney General of New South Wales (2013) 85 NSWLR 783; [2013] NSWCA 383 Sutherland Shire Council v Benedict Industries Pty Ltd (No 8) [2017] NSWLEC 4 Sutherland Shire Council v Turner [2004] NSWLEC 774 Thorneloe v Filipowski (2001) 52 NSWLR 60; [2001] NSWCCA 213 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: Mr Elias Soukkar (Appellant) Blacktown City Council (Respondent Council) Representation: Counsel: Mr T G Howard SC (Appellant) Mr S E Shneider (Solicitor) (Respondent)