Weber v Greater Hume Shire Council [2018] NSWSC 667

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Weber v Greater Hume Shire Council [2018] NSWSC 667 Hearing dates: 3-5, 10-12, 18-19, 21 April 2017 Date of orders: 14 May 2018 Decision date: 14 May 2018 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Walton J Decision: In all the circumstances, the Court orders:

(1) The plaintiff's claim is dismissed.

(2) Subject to further orders of the Court, the plaintiff shall pay the defendant's costs of the proceedings as agreed or, in the absence of agreement, as assessed.

(3) In the event agreement as to answers to the common questions, the plaintiff shall file and serve a joint answer to the questions within 21 days of this judgment. If there is disagreement as to the answer to the common questions, the parties shall file and serve their respective versions of the answers within the same timeframe. The matter will then be listed for directions, at a date to be fixed, to resolve any disagreement as to the common questions.

(4) In the event any application is made by the parties as to costs such application(s) and a summary of submissions in support thereof shall be filed and served within 21 days of this judgment. In the event of such application(s), the Court will list the matter for directions. Catchwords: TORTS – representative proceedings – negligence – plaintiff suffered injury through fire – determination of liability – no claim for pure economic loss – ignition of fire – origins – causation – spread or escape of fire – common law principles – existence and scope of duty of care – novelty of duty –salient features relevant to duty of care – reasonably foreseeability – knowledge of defendant significance of harm – relationship – vulnerability indeterminacy – breach – statutory conditions regarding breach of duty –s 5B Civil Liability Act 2002 – risk not insignificant – whether reasonable person would take precautions – probability of harm – likely seriousness of harm – burden of taking precautions – social utility – s 42 Civil Liability Act 2002 – statutory defence –general v specific allocation – specific resource allocation for waste management – no defence made out - whether precautions were reasonable – defendant should have adopted and implemented specific fire precautions – breach found – causation – whether precautions would have prevented the injury caused by fire spread – failure to prove factual causation – negligence not established by plaintiff – nuisance – proprietary rights over affected land – unreasonable interference – in absence of negligence defendant not liable in nuisance – claim by plaintiff dismissed – directions regarding common questions and costs Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) Crown Lands Act 1989 (NSW) Evidence Act 1995 Act (NSW) Local Government Act 1993 (NSW) Rural Fires Act 1997 (NSW) Cases Cited: Amaca Pty Ltd v Ellis (2010) 240 CLR 111; [2010] HCA 5 Bankstown City Council v Alamdo Holdings Pty Ltd (2005) 223 CLR 660; [2005] HCA 46 Bankstown City Council v Zraika (2016) 94 NSWLR 159; [2016] NSWCA 51 Benic v New South Wales [2010] NSWSC 1039 Burnie Port Authority v Gerard Jones Pty Ltd (1994) 179 CLR 520 Caltex Refineries (QLD) Pty Ltd v Stavar (2009) 75 NSWLR 649; [2009] NSWCA 258 Carangelo v State of New South Wales [2016] NSWCA 126 Casley-Smith v FS Evans & Sons Pty Ltd (No 5) (1988) 67 LGRA 108 Cekan v Haines (1990) 21 NSWLR 296 Chapman v Hearse (1961) 106 CLR 112; [1961] HCA 46 Crimmins v Stevedoring Industry Finance Committee (1999) 200 CLR 1; [1999] HCA 59 Department of Transport v North West Water Authority [1984] AC 336 Directors of St Helen's Smelting Co v Tipping (1865) 11 ER 1483 Electro Optic Systems v State of New South Wales (2014) 10 ACTLR 1; [2014] ACTCA 45 Elston v Dore (1982) 149 CLR 480 Fairall v Hobbs (2017) 347 ALR 151; [2017] NSWCA 82 Fitzgerald v Penn (1954) 91 CLR 268 Gales Holdings Pty Ltd v Tweed Shire Council (2013) 85 NSWLR 514; [2013] NSWCA 382 Garzo v Liverpool / Campbelltown Christian School [2012] NSWCA 151 Glasgow Corporation v Muir [1943] AC 448 Goldman v Hargrave (1966) 115 CLR 458 Graham Barclay Oysters Pty Ltd v Ryan (2002) 211 CLR 540; [2002] HCA 54 Hargrave v Goldman (1963) 110 CLR 40 Harris v Woolworths Ltd [2010] NSWCA 312 Holroyd City Council v Zaiter (2014) 119 LGERA 319; [2014] NSWCA 109 Howard Smith & Patrick Travel Pty Ltd v Comcare [2014] NSWCA 215 Johnson Tiles Pty Ltd v Esso Australia Pty Ltd [2003] VSC 27 Mahony v J Kruschich (Demolitions) Pty Ltd (1985) 59 ALR 722; [1985] HCA 37 March v E & MH Stramare Pty Ltd (1991) 99 ALR 423; [1991] HCA 12 Marcic v Thames Water Utilities Ltd [2002] QB 929 Melaleuca Estate Pty Ltd v Port Stephens Council (2006) 143 LGERA 319; [2006] NSWCA 31 Nielsen v Brisbane Tramways Co Ltd (1912) 14 CLR 354 Oldham v Lawson (No 1) [1976] VR 654 Overseas Tankship (UK) Ltd v Miller Steamship Co Pty Ltd (The Wagon Mound (No 2)) [1967] 1 AC 617 Marsh v Baxter (2015) 49 WAR 1; [2015] WASCA 169 Perre v Apand Pty Ltd (1999) 198 CLR 180; [1999] HCA 36 Price v State of New South Wales [2011] NSWCA 341 Pyrenees Shire Council v Day (1998) 192 CLR 330; [1998] HCA 3 Road and Traffic Authority (NSW) v Refrigerated Roadways Pty Ltd (2009) 77 NSWLR 360; [2009] NSWCA 263 Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW v Dederer (2007) 234 CLR 330; [2007] HCA 42 Shaw v Thomas [2010] NSWCA 169 South Sydney Junior Rugby League Club Ltd v Gazis [2016] NSWCA 8 Southern Properties (WA) Pty Ltd v Executive Director of the Department of Conservation and Land Management (2012) 42 WAR 287; [2012] WASCA 79 Stapley v Gypsum Mines Ltd [1953] AC 663; [1953] 2 All ER 478 Stockwell v State of Victoria [2001] VSC 497 Strategic Formwork Pty Ltd v Hitchen [2018] NSWCA 54 Sullivan v Moody (2001) 207 CLR 562; [2001] HCA 59 Tame v New South Wales (2002) 211 CLR 317; [2002] HCA 35 Vairy v Wyong Shire Council (2005) 223 CLR 422; 221 ALR 711; [2005] HCA 62 Warragamba Winery Pty Ltd v State of New South Wales (No 9) [2012] NSWSC 701 Wyong Shire Council v Shirt (1980) 146 CLR 40; [1980] HCA 12 Texts Cited: C Sappideen and P Vines (eds), Fleming's The Law on Torts, (10th ed, 2011, Thomson Reuters) Macquarie Dictionary (2nd ed, 1992, The Macquarie Library) R Balkin and J Davies, Law of Torts (4th ed, 2009, LexisNexis Butterworths) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Sharon Patricia Weber (Plaintiff) Greater Hume Shire Council (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: T Tobin SC with A Fraatz and C Nicholson (Plaintiff) R Sheldon SC with A Barnett (Defendant)