WaterNSW v Harris (No 3) [2020] NSWLEC 18

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: WaterNSW v Harris (No 3) [2020] NSWLEC 18 Hearing dates: 11 to 15 February 2019 Date of orders: 19 March 2020 Decision date: 19 March 2020 Jurisdiction: Class 5 Before: Robson J Decision: See orders at [417] Catchwords: ENVIRONMENT AND PLANNING — Water — Offences — Unauthorised taking of water – Offences against s 91G(2) of the Water Management Act 2000 (NSW) – Defendants alleged to have taken water without lawful permission – Pleas of not guilty

ENVIRONMENT AND PLANNING — Rivers — Licences, authorities, permits – content of water use approvals

ENVIRONMENT AND PLANNING — Water — Water management plans — Challenges to water management plans

ADMINISTRATIVE LAW — Privative clause — time limitation Legislation Cited: Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW) ss 29, 247K Electronic Transmissions Act 2000 (NSW) ss 5, 6, 8 Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) ss 101, 121H Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) ss 76, 78, 79, 135, 147 Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW) ss 3, 31 Water Act 1912 (NSW) ss 10, 12, 17A, 20H Water Management Act 2000 (NSW) ss 3, 20, 21, 47, 50, 55A, 56, 60A, 71W, 88A, 89, 90, 91G, 91L, 91M, 100, 102, 113, 338A, 363A, 367B, 394, Ch 2 Pt 3, Ch 3 Pts 2, 3, Sch 10 Water Management (Application of Act to Certain Water Sources) Proclamation (No 2) 2012 (NSW) cl 3 Water Sharing Plan for the Barwon-Darling Unregulated and Alluvial Water Sources 2012 cll 2, 4, 7, 46, Pt 11, Sch 2 WaterNSW Act 2014 (NSW) s 4 Cases Cited: Akpata v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs [2003] FCA 1117 Allstate Life Insurance Co v Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (No 5) (Allstate Judgment No 32) (1996) 64 FCR 73 Boddington v British Transport Police [1998] 2 WLR 639 Bowling v General Motors-Holden Pty Ltd (1975) 8 ALR 197 Brown v Randwick City Council [2011] NSWLEC 172; (2011) 183 LGERA 382 Chang v R [2016] NSWCCA 296 CIC Insurance Ltd v Bankstown Football Club Ltd (1997) 187 CLR 384; [1997] HCA 2 Cooper Brookes (Wollongong) Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation (Cth) (1981) 147 CLR 297; [1981] HCA 26 Craig v State of South Australia (1995) 184 CLR 163; [1995] HCA 58 Davis v Grocon Ltd [1992] 2 VR 661 Environment Protection Authority v Truegain Pty Ltd (2013) 85 NSWLR 125; [2013] NSWCCA 204 Gray v Woollahra Municipal Council [2004] NSWSC 112 Hannes v Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) (No 2) [2006] NSWCCA 373; (2006) 165 A Crim R 151 Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298; [1959] HCA 8 Jones v Territory Insurance Office (1988) 55 NTR 17 Kaczmarski v Victorian Legal Services Board [2017] VSC 690 Kirk v Industrial Relations Commission (NSW); Kirk Group Holdings Pty Ltd v WorkCover Authority of (NSW) (Inspector Childs) (2010) 239 CLR 531; [2010] HCA 1 Medical Council of New South Wales v Lee [2017] NSWCA 282 Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v SZVFW (2018) 264 CLR 541; [2018] HCA 30 Minister for Immigration and Citizenship v Li (2013) 249 CLR 332; [2013] HCA 18 Ousley v The Queen (1997) 192 CLR 69; [1997] HCA 49 Pace Farm Egg Products Pty Ltd v Newcastle City Council [2006] NSWCCA 403; (2006) 151 LGERA 260 Parkview Constructions Pty Ltd v Total Lifestyle Windows Pty Ltd [2016] NSWSC 1911 Prior v Hannaford [1970] VR 772 Project Blue Sky Inc v Australian Broadcasting Authority (1998) 194 CLR 355; [1998] HCA 28 R v Walsh (2002) 131 A Crim R 299; [2002] VSCA 98 Randren House Pty Ltd v Water Administration Ministerial Corporation (No 4) [2019] NSWLEC 5 Randren House Pty Ltd v Water Administration Ministerial Corporation [2020] NSWCA 14 Selby v Pennings (1998) 102 LGERA 253 Seltsam Pty Ltd v McNeill [2006] NSWCA 158 Singh v Legal Aid New South Wales [2014] NSWIRComm 1016 Snowy Monaro Regional Council v Tropic Asphalts Pty Ltd [2018] NSWCCA 202; (2018) 362 ALR 359 Sutherland Shire Council v Benedict Industries Pty Ltd (No 4) [2015] NSWLEC 101 Switzerland Insurance Australia Ltd v Mowie Fisheries Pty Ltd (1997) 74 FCR 205 The King v Hickman; Ex parte Fox and Clinton (1945) 70 CLR 598; [1945] HCA 53 Trives v Hornsby Shire Council (2015) 89 NSWLR 268; [2015] NSWCA 158 Texts Cited: Australian Standard 3778: Measurement of Water Flow in Open Channels Pts 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 3.1