Randren House Pty Ltd v Water Administration Ministerial Corporation (No 5) [2019] NSWLEC 63

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Randren House Pty Ltd v Water Administration Ministerial Corporation (No 5) [2019] NSWLEC 63 Hearing dates: 14 May 2019 Date of orders: 16 May 2019 Decision date: 16 May 2019 Jurisdiction: Class 4 Before: Molesworth AJ Decision: See orders at [72] Catchwords: COSTS - applicants unsuccessful in judicial review proceedings - whether departure from usual costs rule justified - whether litigation can be characterised as public interest litigation - whether additional circumstances exist - whether there are any countervailing considerations - public interest not established COSTS - successful respondents seek award of costs on indemnity basis - offer of compromise - offer to forgo costs - whether offer truly a compromise - relevance of alleged "little or no prospect of success" - whether conduct of proceedings unreasonable - applicants ordered to pay indemnity costs since offer date Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), ss 11, 98 Land and Environment Court Rules 2007 (NSW), r 4.2 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005, rr 1.7, 20.26, 42.1, 42.15A, 59.3 Water Management Act 2000, s 336 Cases Cited: Anderson v NSW Minister for Planning (No 2) [2008] NSWLEC 272 Arnold v Minister Administering the Water Management Act 2000 ((No 6) [2013] NSWLEC 73 Buddhist Society of Western Australia (Inc) v Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale [1999] WASCA 55 Calderbank v Calderbank [1975] 3 All ER 333 Caroona Coal Action Group Inc v Coal Mines Australia Pty Ltd (No 3) [2010] NSWLEC 59; (2010) 173 LGERA 280 Engadine Area Traffic Action Group Inc v Sutherland Shire Council (No 2) [2004] NSWLEC 434; (2004) 136 LGERA 365 Fabre v Lui (No 2) [2015] NSWCA 312 Harvey v Minister Administering the Water Management Act 2000; Tubbo Pty Ltd v Minister Administering the Water Management Act 2000 (No 2) [2008] NSWLEC 213 Hastings Point Progress Association Inc v Tweed Shire Council (No 3) [2010] NSWCA 39 Maurice Tarabay v Fifty Property Investments Pty Ltd [2009] NSWSC 951 Mees v Kemp (No 2) [2004] FCA 549 Minister for Planning v Walker (No 2) [2008] NSWCA 334 Muswellbrook Shire Council v Hunter Valley Energy Coal Pty Ltd (No 4) [2019] NSWLEC 56 Nature Conservation Council of New South Wales Inc v Minister Administering the Water Management Act (2005) 137 LGERA 320 [2005] NSWCA 9 Oshlack v Richmond River Council (1998) 193 CLR 72, [1998] HCA 11 Randren House Pty Ltd v Water Administration Ministerial Corporation [2017] NSWLEC 151 Randren House Pty Ltd v Water Administration Ministerial Corporation (No 3) [2018] NSWLEC 106 Randren House Pty Ltd v Water Administration Ministerial Corporation (No 4) [2019] NSWLEC 5 Save the Ridge Inc v Commonwealth [2006] FCAFC 51 Sewell v Zelden (No. 2) [2010] NSWSC 1181 Wentworth v Rogers [1999] NSWCA 403 Category: Costs Parties: Randren House Pty Ltd (First Applicant) Paul Andrew Andrews (Second Applicant) Water Administration Ministerial Corporation (First Respondent) State of New South Wales (Second Respondent) Minister Administering the Water Management Act 2000 (Third Respondent) Representation: Counsel: Mr P E King, barrister (Applicants) Ms Z Heger, barrister (Respondents)