Akiki v Inner West Council

Case [2019] NSWLEC 1244


Land and Environment Court


New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Akiki v Inner West Council [2019] NSWLEC 1244
Hearing dates: Conciliation conference on 24 May 2018
Date of orders: 04 June 2019
Decision date: 04 June 2019
Jurisdiction:Class 1
Before: Chilcott C
Decision:

The Court orders:
(1)   The Applicant is granted leave to rely on the amended drawings (as referred to in Annexure “A”) for the purpose of the development application.
(2)   The appeal is upheld.
(3)   Development consent is granted to modified development application DA201800436.01 to provide a first floor attic to the garage at 140 Victoria Street, Dulwich Hill is determined by approving the modifications as set out in Annexure “B”.
(4)   As a consequence of Order (3), Development Consent No. DA201800436 to demolish part of the premises and carry out ground and first floor alterations and additions to a dwelling house is now subject to the consolidated, modified conditions of development consent set out in Annexure “C”.
(5)   No Order as to costs.

Catchwords: DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION – conciliation conference – agreement between the parties – orders
Legislation Cited: Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979
Land and Environment Court Act 1979
Category:Principal judgment
Parties: Jack Akiki (Applicant)
Inner West Council (Respondent)
Representation:

Counsel:
J Farrell (Applicant)

  Solicitors:
Gilbert & Tobin (Applicant)
S Turner, Inner West Council (Respondent)
File Number(s): 2019/47221
Publication restriction: No

Judgment

  1. COMMISSIONER: Jack Akiki (the Applicant) has appealed the refusal by Inner West Council (the Respondent) of his application (DA101800436) for provision of a first floor attic to the garage at the rear 140 Victoria Street, Dulwich Hill (the Subject Site).

  2. The appeal comes to the Court pursuant to s 8.7(1) of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EPA Act), and falls within Class 1 of the Court’s jurisdiction.

  3. The Court arranged a conciliation conference under s 34(1) of the Land and Environment Court Act 1979 (LEC Act) between the Parties, which was held on 24 May 2019, and I presided over the conciliation conference.

  4. At the conciliation conference, the Parties reached agreement as to the terms of a decision in the proceedings that would be acceptable to the Parties. This decision involved the Court upholding the appeal and granting consent to the development application, subject to conditions.

  5. Under s 34(3) of the LEC Act, I must dispose of the proceedings in accordance with the Parties’ decision if the Parties’ decision is a decision that the Court could have made in the proper exercise of its functions. The Parties’ decision involves the Court exercising the function under s 4.16 of the EPA Act to grant consent to the development application.

  6. There are no jurisdictional prerequisites that must be satisfied before this function can be exercised.

  7. I am satisfied that the Parties’ decision is one that the Court could have made in the proper exercise of its functions, as required by s 34(3) of the LEC Act.

  8. As the Parties’ decision is a decision that the Court could have made in the proper exercise of its functions, I am required under s 34(3) of the LEC Act to dispose of the proceedings in accordance with the Parties’ decision.

  9. The Court orders:

  1. The Applicant is granted leave to rely on the amended drawings (as referred to in Annexure “A”) for the purpose of the development application.

  2. The appeal is upheld.

  3. Development consent is granted to modified development application DA201800436.01 to provide a first floor attic to the garage at 140 Victoria Street, Dulwich Hill is determined by approving the modifications as set out in Annexure “B”.

  4. As a consequence of Order (3), Development Consent No. DA201800436 to demolish part of the premises and carry out ground and first floor alterations and additions to a dwelling house is now subject to the consolidated, modified conditions of development consent set out in Annexure “C”.

  5. No Order as to costs.

……………………….

Michael Chilcott

Commissioner of the Court

Annexure A - Revised Plans

Annexure B - Modified Conditions of Consent

Annexure C- Consolidated Conditions of Consent

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Details
AGLC
Akiki v Inner West Council [2019] NSWLEC 1244
Case
[2019] NSWLEC 1244
Decision Date

CaseChat Overview and Summary

The case of Akiki v Inner West Council was heard in the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales. The Applicant, Akiki, sought to amend the drawings related to a development application for a property located at 140 Victoria Street, Dulwich Hill. The dispute arose due to the council's refusal to accept the amended drawings, which prompted the Applicant to appeal the council's decision. The Applicant argued that the council's refusal was unreasonable and that the amended drawings should be accepted to facilitate the proposed development, which included a first floor attic to the garage.

The legal issues before the court centred on whether the council's refusal to accept the amended drawings was lawful and whether the Applicant was entitled to rely on the amended drawings for the purpose of the development application. The court also needed to determine if the appeal was valid and whether the development consent should be granted with the modifications as set out in Annexure “B”. The Applicant argued that the amended drawings were necessary to clarify the proposed works and that the council's refusal was unreasonable, given the changes were minor and did not affect the overall scope of the project.

The court found that the council's refusal to accept the amended drawings was unreasonable and that the Applicant was entitled to rely on the amended drawings for the purpose of the development application. The court upheld the appeal and granted the development consent with the modifications outlined in Annexure “B”. The court determined that the modifications were minor and did not alter the essential nature of the project, thus the amended drawings should be accepted. Consequently, the development consent for the property was subject to the consolidated, modified conditions of development consent set out in Annexure “C”. The court did not make any order regarding costs.

Orders

Orders of the court

The Court orders:

(1) The Applicant is granted leave to rely on the amended drawings (as referred to in Annexure “A”) for the purpose of the development application.

(2) The appeal is upheld.

(3) Development consent is granted to modified development application DA201800436.01 to provide a first floor attic to the garage at 140 Victoria Street, Dulwich Hill is determined by approving the modifications as set out in Annexure “B”.

(4) As a consequence of Order (3), Development Consent No. DA201800436 to demolish part of the premises and carry out ground and first floor alterations and additions to a dwelling house is now subject to the consolidated, modified conditions of development consent set out in Annexure “C”.

(5) No Order as to costs.

Background

Background to the litigation

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Evidence

Evidence Before The Court

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Decision

Reasons for decision

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Ratio Decidendi

Legal Principle Established

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