Polglase by his tutor Jeffrey Polglase v Coffs Harbour City Council (No 2) [2019] NSWSC 1848

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Polglase by his tutor Jeffrey Polglase v Coffs Harbour City Council (No 2) [2019] NSWSC 1848 Hearing dates: 17, 18, 20 and 23 September 2019 Date of orders: 19 December 2019 Decision date: 19 December 2019 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Cavanagh J Decision: (1) Verdict for the plaintiff against the first and third defendants with damages to be assessed. (2) Proceedings dismissed as against the fourth, fifth and sixth defendants. (3) All cross-claims dismissed. (4) Direct that the matter be returned to the Registrar's list for the assessment of damages. Catchwords: TORTS — negligence — catastrophic personal injury to child — fall off jetty through railing — public liability — duty of Council and Reserve Trust as occupiers — duty of State as designer of structure — duty of grandparents as carers of child — application of ss 5O, 5M, 42 of the Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) ss 5B, 5C, 5D, 5F, 5G, 5H, 5K, 5M, 5N, 5O, 41, 42, 43A Crown Lands Act 1989 (NSW), ss 87, 92, 95, 98, 100 Heritage Act 1977 (NSW) Local Government Act 1993 (NSW) Public Works Act 1912 (NSW), ss 153, 157 Cases Cited: Action Paintball Games Pty Ltd (In Liquidation) v Barker [2013] NSWCA 128 Bathurst Regional Council v Thompson [2012] NSWCA 340; (2012) 191 LGERA 182 Brown v Hewson [2015] NSWCA 393 Council of the Shire of Muswellbrook v Lettice & Anor; New South Wales v Lettice & Anor [2000] NSWCA 359 Dobler v Kenneth Halverson; Dobler v Kurt Halverson (by his tutor) [2007] NSWCA 335 Dovuro Pty Ltd v Wilkins (2003) 215 CLR 317; [2003] HCA 51 Erwin v Iveco Trucks Australia Ltd [2010] NSWCA 113; (2010) 267 ALR 752 Glasgow Corporation v Muir [1943] AC 448 Goode v Angland (2017) 96 NSWLR 503; [2017] NSWCA 311 Guiney v Australand Holdings Ltd & Ors; Castlehaven Sales No 2 (trading as Castlehaven Realtors & Ors v Guiney & Ors [2008] NSWCA 44 Hahn v Conley (1971) 126 CLR 276; [1971] HCA 56 Hoffmann v Boland [2013] NSWCA 158; [2013] Aust Torts Reports ¶82-134 Howmet Ltd v Economy Devices Ltd & Ors [2016] EWCA Civ 847 Laresu Pty Ltd v Clark [2010] NSWCA 180; [2010] Aust Torts Reports ¶82-068 Luxton v Vines (1952) 85 CLR 352; [1952] HCA 19 Macquarie Hastings Council v Mooney [2014] NSWCA 156; (2014) 201 LGERA 314 Modbury Triangle Shopping Centre Pty Ltd v Anzil (2000) 205 CLR 254; [2000] HCA 61 Mulligan v Coffs Harbour City Council & Ors [2003] NSWSC 49; [2003] Aust Torts Reports ¶81–689 Perisher Blue Pty Ltd v Nair-Smith (2015) 90 NSWLR 1; [2015] NSWCA 90 Project Blue Sky v ABA (1998) 194 CLR 355; [1998] HCA 28 Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW v Dederer (2007) 234 CLR 330; [2007] HCA 42 Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW v Refrigerated Roadways Pty Limited (2009) 77 NSWLR 360; [2009] NSWCA 263 Robertson v Swincer (1989) 52 SASR 356; [1989] SASC 1758 Romeo v Conservation Commission of the Northern Territory (1998) 192 CLR 431; [1998] HCA 5 Sharp v Parramatta City Council [2015] NSWCA 260; (2015) 209 LGERA 220 Shaw v Thomas [2010] NSWCA 169; [2010] Aust Torts Reports ¶82–065 Shellharbour City Council v Rhiannon Rigby & Anor [2006] NSWCA 308; (2006) 150 LGERA 11 South Western Sydney Local Health District v Gould (2018) 97 NSWLR 513; [2018] NSWCA 69 Sparks v Hobson; Gray v Hobson [2018] NSWCA 29; (2018) 361 ALR 115 St Mark's Orthodox Coptic College v Abraham [2007] NSWCA 185 Tedmund Polglase by his tutor Jeffrey Polglase v Coffs Harbour City Council & Ors [2019] NSWSC 1249 Tweed Shire Council v Carly Eden Howarth (by her tutor Trent Howarth) [2009] NSWCA 103; [2009] Aust Torts Reports ¶82-101 Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (NSW) v Miller; Miller v Lithgow City Council (2015) 91 NSWLR 752; [2015] NSWCA 320 Voli v Inglewood Shire Council & Anor (1963) 110 CLR 74; [1963] HCA 15 Waverley Council v Ferreira [2005] NSWCA 418; [2005] Aust Torts Reports ¶81–818 Weber v Greater Hume Shire Council [2019] NSWCA 74; (2019) 237 LGERA 363 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Tedmund Polglase by his tutor Jeffrey Polglase (Plaintiff) Coffs Harbour City Council (First Defendant) Coffs Jetty Foreshore Reserve Trust (Third Defendant) State of New South Wales (Fourth Defendant) Betty Whitton (Fifth Defendant) David Whitton (Sixth Defendant) Representation: Counsel: R S McIlwaine SC with R E Quickenden (Plaintiff) R Sheldon SC with S J Walsh (First and Third Defendants) N E Chen SC with H Chiu (Fourth Defendant) M Hutchings (Fifth and Sixth Defendants)