New Hope Corporation Ltd v Northern Energy Corporation Ltd (administrators appointed) [2019] NSWSC 879

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: New Hope Corporation Ltd v Northern Energy Corporation Ltd (administrators appointed) [2019] NSWSC 879 Hearing dates: 17-20 June 2019 Decision date: 12 July 2019 Jurisdiction: Equity - Commercial List Before: Stevenson J Decision: On the proper construction of the Deed of Cross Guarantee, the plaintiffs do not guarantee the obligations of the first to eighteenth defendants Catchwords: CONTRACTS – construction – whether parties to a Deed of Cross Guarantee guaranteed the obligations of entities named in Part 1(3) of the Schedule to the Deed

CONTRACTS – rectification – whether the Deed should be rectified by deleting the names of the entities named in Part 1(3) of the Schedule to the Deed – whether clear and convincing evidence of a common intention inconsistent with the words used in the Deed Legislation Cited: Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) Cases Cited: Electricity Generation Corporation v Woodside Energy Ltd; Woodside Energy Ltd v Electricity Generation Corporation (2014) 251 CLR 640; [2014] HCA 7 Kelly v R (2004) 218 CLR 216; [2004] HCA 12 Mount Bruce Mining Pty Ltd v Wright Prospecting Pty Ltd (2015) 256 CLR 104; [2015] HCA 37 Newey v Westpac Banking Corporation [2014] NSWCA 319 Pukallus v Cameron (1982) 180 CLR 447; [1982] HCA 63 Red Hill Iron Ltd v API Management Pty Ltd [2012] WASC 323 Rinehart v Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd; Rinehart v Rinehart (2019) 366 ALR 635; [2019] HCA 13 Simic v New South Wales Land and Housing Corporation (2016) 260 CLR 85; [2016] HCA 47 SMA Solar Technology AG v Beyond Building Systems Pty Ltd (No 5) [2012] FCA 1483 Vincent Nominees Pty Ltd v Western Australian Planning Commission (2012) 187 LGERA 303; [2012] WASC 28 Category: Principal judgment Parties: New Hope Corporation Limited (First Plaintiff) Acland Pastoral Co. Pty Ltd (Second Plaintiff) Andrew Wright Holdings Pty Ltd (Third Plaintiff) Arkdale Pty Ltd (Fourth Plaintiff) Jeebropilly Collieries Pty Ltd (Fifth Plaintiff) New Acland Coal Pty Ltd (Sixth Plaintiff) New Lenton Coal Pty Ltd (Seventh Plaintiff) New Oakleigh Coal Pty Ltd (Eighth Plaintiff) Queensland Bulk Handling Pty Ltd (Ninth Plaintiff) Northern Energy Corporation Limited (administrators appointed) (First Defendant) Colton Coal Pty Ltd (administrators appointed) (Second Defendant) eCOALogical Fuels Pty Ltd (Third Defendant) Elimatta Pastoral Pty Ltd (Fourth Defendant) Hueridge Pty Ltd (Fifth Defendant) Krestlake Pty Ltd (Sixth Defendant) Lenton Management and Marketing Pty Ltd (Seventh Defendant) Mattvale Pty Ltd (Eighth Defendant) New Hope Coal Marketing Pty Ltd (Ninth Defendant) New Hope Collieries Pty Ltd (Tenth Defendant) New Hope Energy Pty Ltd (Eleventh Defendant) New Hope Exploration Pty Ltd (Twelfth Defendant) New Hope Water Pty Ltd (Thirteenth Defendant) Taroom Coal Pty Ltd (Fourteenth Defendant) Tetard Holdings Pty Ltd (Fifteenth Defendant) Tivoli Collieries Pty Ltd (Sixteenth Defendant) Uniford Pty Ltd (Seventeenth Defendant) Yamala Coal Pty Ltd (Eighteenth Defendant) Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal Pty Ltd (Nineteenth Defendant) Representation: Counsel: N C Hutley SC with J C Giles SC, F T Roughley, G W Keesing and A L Oakes (Plaintiffs) A G Bell SC with M L Rose (First and Second Defendants) R C A Higgins SC with J Hutton (Nineteenth Defendant)