H Buildings v Owners Corporation

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF VICTORIA AT MELBOURNE Not Restricted

COMMERCIAL COURT
TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION LIST

S ECI 2017 0153

H BUILDINGS PTY LTD (ACN 091 236 912)
formerly Hickory Group Pty Ltd  

Plaintiff

v  

OWNERS CORPORATION 1 PS537642N & ORS

(according to attached Schedule of Parties)

Defendants

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JUDGE:	Digby J
WHERE HELD:	Melbourne
DATE OF HEARING:	16 August 2017
DATE OF JUDGMENT:	22 December 2017
CASE MAY BE CITED AS:	H Buildings v Owners Corporation
MEDIUM NEUTRAL CITATION:	[2017] VSC 802

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DECLARATORY RELIEF – Challenge to the jurisdiction of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal to continue to deal with applications – Whether Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995 applies to a ‘residential hotel’ development – Availability of injunctive relief to restrain the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal from continuing to deal with a matter beyond jurisdiction – Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995, ss 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 53 and 54.

INJUNCTION – Restraining the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal – Want of jurisdiction to deal with disputes in relation to building works which are excluded from the Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995 as a ‘residential hotel’.

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APPEARANCES:	Counsel	Solicitors
For the Plaintiff	Mr G H Golvan QC with Mr B Mason of Counsel	Piper Alderman
For the First to Ninety-Sixth Defendants	Mr H Foxcroft QC with Mr B Reid of Counsel	McMahon Fearnley
For the Ninety-Eighth Defendant	Mr R Harris	Marchesin & Co.
For the Ninety-Ninth Defendant	Mr S Grahame	Lander & Rogers

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Background......................................................................................................................................... 1

Relief for remedy sought by the Builder....................................................................................... 2

Relevant legislation........................................................................................................................... 2

Builder’s application for a declaration........................................................................................... 8

Builder’s submissions.................................................................................................................. 8

Residential part of licensed premises........................................................................................... 13

The Court’s power to make the orders sought by the Builder................................................ 13

Balance of convenience................................................................................................................... 14

Defendants’ submissions................................................................................................................ 14

Impermissible use of extrinsic material....................................................................................... 17

Defendants’ summary position in relation to cited case........................................................... 17

Builder’s responsive submissions................................................................................................. 18

The Builder’s summary position in relation to cited cases....................................................... 21

Considerations.................................................................................................................................. 22

The nature of the declaration sought by the Builder............................................................. 22

The relevant legislation................................................................................................................... 22

The law............................................................................................................................................... 23

Case summaries................................................................................................................................ 24

Fletcher Construction Australia Ltd v Southside Tower Developments Pty Ltd........................... 24

Port Phillip City Council v Domain Hill Properties Pty Ltd......................................................... 24

Maclaw No 651 Pty Ltd v HIH Casualty and General Insurance Ltd.......................................... 25

HIH Casualty & General Insurance Ltd v Maclaw No 651 Pty Ltd............................................. 25

Winslow Constructors Pty Ltd v Mt Holden Estates Pty Ltd....................................................... 26

Winslow Constructors Pty Ltd v Mt Holden Estates Pty Ltd....................................................... 26

Mirvac (Docklands) Pty Ltd v Philp.............................................................................................. 27

Kane Constructions Pty Ltd v Sopov............................................................................................. 27

Shaw v Yarranova Pty Ltd............................................................................................................ 28

Shaw v Yarranova Pty Ltd............................................................................................................ 28

Glenrich Builders Pty Ltd v 1–5 Grantham Street Pty Ltd........................................................... 29

Republic of Turkey v Mackie Pty Ltd............................................................................................. 29

Burbank Australia Pty Ltd v Owners Corporation PS 447493..................................................... 30

Jinalec Pty Ltd v Mornington Peninsula Shire Council and Stringer…