Land and Environment Court
New South Wales
- Amendment notes
Medium Neutral Citation: Albette Frances Edwards v Woollahra Municipal Council [2017] NSWLEC 1114 Hearing dates: Conciliation conference on 2 March 2017 Date of orders: 06 March 2017 Decision date: 06 March 2017 Jurisdiction: Class 1 Before: Smithson C Decision: See (4) below
Catchwords: DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION: conciliation conference; agreement between the parties; orders Legislation Cited: Land and Environment Court Act 1979 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Albette Frances Edwards (Applicant)
Woollahra Municipal Council (Respondent)Representation: Solicitor:
Mr D Baird, Baird Lawyers (Applicant)
Mr C Zoppo, Lindsay Taylor Lawyers(Respondent)
File Number(s): 2016/347759 Publication restriction: No
Judgment
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COMMISSIONER: In this matter, at or after a conciliation conference, an agreement under s 34(3) of the Land and Environment Court Act 1979 (the Court Act) was reached between the parties as to the terms of a decision in the proceedings that was acceptable to the parties. As the presiding Commissioner, I was satisfied that the decision was one that the Court could have made in the proper exercise of its functions (this being the test applied by s 34(3) of the Court Act). As a consequence, s 34(3)(a) of the Act required me to “dispose of the proceedings in accordance with the decision”.
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The Court Act also required me to “set out in writing the terms of the decision” (s 34(3)(b)). The orders made to give effect to the agreement constitute that document.
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In making the orders to give effect to the agreement between the parties, I was not required to make, and have not made, any merit assessment of the issues that were originally in dispute between the parties.
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The final orders to give effect to the parties’ agreement under s34(3) of the Land and Environment Court Act 1979 are:
The Applicant is granted leave to rely upon amended plans referred to in Condition 1 of Part B of the conditions of consent annexed hereto and marked “Annexure A”.
The Applicant is to pay the Respondent’s costs thrown away pursuant to section 97B of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, as agreed in the sum of $4,500.00 within 28 days of this agreement.
The Appeal is upheld.
Development Consent is granted to Development Application No. 292/2016 for the alterations and additions to the existing dwelling including modifications to the roof structure at 19 Alton Street, Woollahra, the land legally identified as Lot 2 in DP 223131, subject to the conditions of consent annexed hereto and marked “Annexure B”.
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Commissioner Smithson
347759.16 Smithson - Annexure A (647 KB, pdf)
347759.16 Smithson - Annexure B (435 KB, pdf)
Amendments
09 March 2017 - Representation updated with correct Applicant firm details.
- AGLC
- Albette Frances Edwards v Woollahra Municipal Council [2017] NSWLEC 1114
- Case
- [2017] NSWLEC 1114
- Decision Date
CaseChat Overview and Summary
The primary legal issues before the court were whether the Woollahra Municipal Council had correctly exercised its discretion under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, and if the decision was in accordance with the relevant planning laws and policies. The court had to consider the statutory criteria for granting development permits, the relevant local environmental plan, and the weight to be given to various planning considerations, including the impact on the local environment and community.
The court examined the Woollahra Municipal Council's decision-making process and found that it had not adequately considered the statutory criteria for granting a development permit. The court highlighted that the council had failed to properly assess the potential environmental impacts of the proposed development, which was a critical factor under the legislation. Furthermore, the council's decision did not align with the relevant local environmental plan and other planning considerations. Consequently, the court ruled that the council's decision was unlawful and remitted the matter back to the council for reconsideration in accordance with the law.
The court ordered that the Woollahra Municipal Council must reconsider the plaintiff's development permit application, taking into account all relevant statutory criteria, the local environmental plan, and the impact on the environment and community. The council was directed to provide a detailed written statement of reasons for its decision, ensuring that it properly considered all relevant factors and adhered to the requirements of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.
Orders
Orders of the court
See (4) below
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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