Fulton Hogan Construction Pty Ltd v Cockram Construction Ltd [2018] NSWSC 264

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Fulton Hogan Construction Pty Ltd v Cockram Construction Ltd [2018] NSWSC 264 Hearing dates: 1 March 2018 Decision date: 07 March 2018 Before: Ball J Decision: (1) The court declares that the determination dated 20 February 2018 of the Second Defendant (the Determination) is void;

(2) Order that the First Defendant be restrained from: (a) requesting the provision of an adjudication certificate pursuant to section 24(1) of the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW) (the Act); (b) filing an adjudication certificate (or purported adjudication certificate) as a judgment for a debt in any court pursuant to section 25 of the Act; (c) serving (or purporting to serve) a notice on the plaintiff pursuant to section 24(1)(b) of the Act,

in connection with the Determination.

(3) Order that any moneys in Court be paid out to the Plaintiff or the Plaintiff's solicitor; and

(4) Order that the First Defendant pay the Plaintiff's costs of the proceedings. Catchwords: ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – judicial review – grounds of review – whether an adjudicator failed to provide adequate reasons under Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW) s 22(3)(b) ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – prerogative writs and orders – certiorari – whether discrete aspects of a determination affected by jurisdictional error can be severed and quashed INTERPRETATION – whether an adjudicator's determination under Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW) s 22(1) is an instrument under Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW) s 32 Legislation Cited: Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW) Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 2009 (SA) Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW) Migration Act 1958 (Cth) Cases Cited: Anderson Street Banksmeadow Pty Ltd v Helcon Contracting Australia Pty Ltd [2013] NSWSC 657 Avopiling (NSW) Pty Ltd v Menard Bachy Pty Ltd [2012] NSWSC 1466 Bauen Constructions v Westwood Interiors [2010] NSWSC 1359 BM Alliance Coal Operations Pty Ltd v BGC Contracting Pty Ltd [2015] 1 Qd R 228; [2013] QCA 394 Coordinated Construction Co Pty Ltd v JM Hargreaves (NSW) Pty Ltd (2005) 63 NSWLR 385 Maxcon Constructions Pty Ltd v Vadasz (trading as Australasian Piling Co) [2018] HCA 5 Maxcon Constructions v Vadasz (No 2) (2017) 127 SASR 193; [2017] SASCFC 2 Minister for Immigration and Citizenship v Li (2013) 249 CLR 332; [2013] HCA Multiplex Constructions Pty Ltd v Luikens [2003] NSWSC 1140 New South Wales Land and Housing Corporation v Clarendon Homes (NSW) Pty Ltd [2012] NSWSC 333 Re Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance; Ex parte Arnel (1994) 179 CLR 84; [1994] HCA 1 Richard Crookes Construction Pty Ltd v CES Projects (Aust) Pty Ltd (No 2) [2016] NSWSC 1229 SSC Plenty Road Pty Ltd v Construction Engineering (Aust) Pty Ltd [2015] VSC 631 Trysams Pty Ltd v Club Constructions (NSW) Pty Ltd [2007] NSWSC 1298 Texts Cited: Stephen Lloyd and Houda Younan, 'The Use of the Blue Pencil – Partial Invalidity' in Neil Williams (ed), Key Issues in Judicial Review, (The Federation Press, 2014) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Fulton Hogan Construction Pty Ltd ABN 46 010 240 758 (Plaintiff) Cockram Construction Ltd ABN 99 004 799 508 (First Defendant) Rosemarie Risgalla (Second Defendant) Representation: Counsel: S Robertson (Plaintiff) M Christie SC with B Hume (First Defendant) Submitting Appearance (Second Defendant)