Randren House Pty Ltd v Water Administration Ministerial Corporation [2020] NSWCA 14

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Randren House Pty Ltd v Water Administration Ministerial Corporation [2020] NSWCA 14 Hearing dates: 26, 27 November 2019 Decision date: 19 February 2020 Before: Basten JA at [1]; Leeming JA at [17]; Emmett AJA at [204]. Decision: 1. Leave refused to extend the time within which to appeal.

2. Notice of appeal dismissed as incompetent.

3. The appellants pay the respondents' costs. Catchwords: APPEALS - time for commencing appeal - orders made dismissing applicants' claims - costs orders made months later - whether time for appeal only ran from costs orders - whether applicants should have an extension of time - whether applicants had sufficiently explained delay - extension of time for appeal refused

JUDICIAL REVIEW – applicants' land claimed to be affected by Minister's plan made under Water Management Act 2000 (NSW) - applicants brought judicial review proceedings challenging numerous decisions including making of the Minister's plan - proceedings dismissed as not brought within 3 months as required by s 47 - application to reopen after judgment reserved refused - all bases of judicial review rejected - whether primary judge erred in finding proceedings statute-barred - whether Minister entitled to make decisions to make a plan at "high level" - whether Minister had duty to classify water sources of the State - whether first applicant should have been issued with a licence expressed in terms of unregulated water - whether error in refusing application to adduce further evidence - extension of time for appeal refused Legislation Cited: Acts Interpretation Act 1901 (Cth), s 15A Civil Procedure Act 2005 (Cth), ss 56, 65 Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW), s 32(2) Land and Environment Court Act 1979 (NSW), ss 25B, 58 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules, rr 14.14(3), 51.2, 51.18(1)(e), 51.36(2), 59.10(4) Water Act 1912 (NSW), s 12 Water Management Act 2000 (NSW), ss 3, 5-9, 15, 17, 20, 35, 47-50, Ch 3 Pts 2-3, ss 336, 393, Sch 10 Water Sharing Plan for the Murrumbidgee Regulated River Water Source 2003 Water Sharing Plan for the Murrumbidgee Unregulated and Alluvial Water Sources 2012 Water Sharing Plan for the Murrumbidgee Regulated River Water Source 2016 Cases Cited: Banque Commerciale SA v Akhil Holdings Ltd (en liqn) (1990) 169 CLR 279; [1990] HCA 11 Baulkham Hills Shire Council v O'Donnell (1988) 66 LGRA 367 Bropho v Western Australia (1990) 171 CLR 1; [1990] HCA 24 Broughton v Leslie [2019] NSWSC 827 Burwood Council v Ralan Burwood Pty Ltd (No 2) [2014] NSWCA 179 Carr v Finance Corp Ltd (1981) 147 CLR 246; [1981] HCA 20 Castle v Director General State Emergency Service [2008] NSWCA 231 Hicks v Ruddock (2007) 156 FCR 574; [2007] FCA 299 ICM Agriculture Pty Ltd v Commonwealth (2009) 240 CLR 140; [2009] HCA 51 Margarula v Northern Territory of Australia (2016) 257 FCR 226; [2016] FCA 1018 Minister Administering the Water Management Act 2000 v Sharkey [2017] NSWCA 319 Murrumbidgee Groundwater Preservation Association Inc v Minister for Natural Resources [2005] NSWCA 10 Newcrest Mining (WA) Ltd v Commonwealth (1997) 190 CLR 513; [1997] HCA 38 Olsen v Mentink [2019] NSWCA 279 Paciocco v Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (2015) 236 FCR 199; [2015] FCAFC 50 Randren House Pty Ltd v Water Administration Ministerial Corporation (No 5) [2019] NSWLEC 63 Randren House Pty Ltd v Water Administration Ministerial Corporation (No 4) [2019] NSWLEC 5 Shade Systems Pty Ltd v Probuild Constructions (Aust) Pty Ltd (No 2) (2016) 95 NSWLR 157; [2016] NSWCA 379 Skalkos v T & S Recoveries Pty Ltd (2004) 65 NSWLR 151; [2004] NSWCA 281 Spence v State of Queensland [2019] HCA 15; 93 ALJR 643 at [294] The King v The Governor of the State of South Australia (1907) 4 CLR 1497; [1907] HCA 31 The Movie Network Channels Pty Ltd v Optus Vision Pty Ltd [2009] NSWSC 132 Tubbo Pty Ltd v Minister Administering the Water Management Act 2000; Harvey v Minister Administering the Water Management Act 2000 [2008] NSWCA 356 Woolworths Ltd v Pallas Newco Pty Ltd (2004) 61 NSWLR 707; [2004] NSWCA 422 Zippoz Pty Ltd v National Australia Bank Ltd [2013] NSWCA 113 Texts Cited: M Aronson, M Groves and G Weeks, Judicial Review of Administrative Action and Government Liability (6th ed, LawBook Co, 2017)