Park v Murray Irrigation Limited [2018] NSWCA 166

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Park v Murray Irrigation Limited [2018] NSWCA 166 Hearing dates: 20, 21 June 2018 Decision date: 02 August 2018 Before: Bathurst CJ at [1]; Leeming JA at [2] Sackville AJA at [3] Decision: 1. Appeal dismissed; 2. Appellant to pay the respondent's costs of the appeal. Catchwords: CONTRACT – contractual arrangements between an irrigation corporation and an irrigator – irrigator entitled to separate water entitlements (WEs) and delivery entitlements (DEs) – whether corporation's unilateral changes to Policies so as to require a transferor of WEs to surrender DEs and pay termination fees constituted a breach of contract

UNCONSCIONABLE CONDUCT – whether corporation's actions in changing the Policies constituted unconscionable conduct in contravention of s 51AC of the Trade Practices Act 1979 (Cth)

DAMAGES – whether the irrigator, had he established a breach of contract, was entitled to damages equivalent to the termination fees he paid to the corporation – whether the irrigator showed that had the (assumed) breach not occurred he would have received a higher net sale price for his WEs Legislation Cited: Australian Consumer Law (Sch 2, Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth)), s 21 Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), s 140(1) Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth), s 51AC Water Act 2007 (Cth), s 92 Water Charges (Termination Fees) Rules 2009 (Cth)

Irrigation Corporation Act 1994 (NSW), ss 19, 30, 36, 38, 39, 48, 74 Water Management Act 2000 (NSW), ss 15, 371(1), 401, 403, 116, 117, 119, 120, 122, 123 Cases Cited: Boucher v Murray Irrigation Ltd; Pratt v Murray Irrigation Ltd; Park v Murray Irrigation Ltd [2017] NSWSC 1268 Browne v Dunn (1893) 6 R 67 Electricity Generation Corporation v Woodside Energy Ltd (2014) 251 CLR 640; [2014] HCA 7 Fox v Percy (2003) 214 CLR 118 Hole v Garnsey [1930] AC 472 Ipstar Australia Pty Ltd v APS Satellite Pty Ltd [2018] NSWCA 15 Lion Nathan Australia Pty Ltd v Coopers Brewery Ltd (2006) 156 FCR 1; [2006] FCAFC 144 Mount Bruce Mining Pty Ltd v Wright Prospecting Pty Ltd (2015) 256 CLR 104; [2015] HCA 37 Paciocco v Australian & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (2016) 258 CLR 525; [2016] HCA 28 Paciocco v Australian and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (2015) 236 FCR 199; [2015] FCAFC 50 PT Ltd v Spuds Surf Chatswood Ltd [2013] NSWCA 446 Re Golden Key [2009] EWCA Civ 636 Re Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance; Ex parte Hoyts Corporation Pty Ltd (1993) 178 CLR 379; [1993] HCA 40 Robinson v Harman (1848) 1 Ex Rep 850 Robinson Helicopter Company Incorporated v McDermott (2016) 331 ALR 550; [2016] HCA 22 Ruthol Pty Ltd v Tricon (Australia) Pty Ltd [2005] NSWCA 443; 12 BPR 23,923 Tabcorp Holdings Pty Ltd v Bowen Investments Pty Ltd (2009) 236 CLR 272 Category: Principal judgment Parties: James Scott Park (Appellant) Murray Irrigation Limited (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: Mr D Pritchard SC / Mr A Macauley (Appellant) Mr I Pike SC / Ms J Granger (Respondent)