HBU Projects No 2 Pty Ltd v Lake Macquarie City Council

Case [2018] NSWLEC 1450


Land and Environment Court


New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: HBU Projects No 2 Pty Ltd v Lake Macquarie City Council [2018] NSWLEC 1450
Hearing dates: Conciliation conference on 7, 14 and 28 June 2018; 30 July 2018
Date of orders: 21 August 2018
Decision date: 21 August 2018
Jurisdiction:Class 1
Before: Dickson C
Decision:

See [5] below

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: HBU Projects No 2 Pty Ltd (Applicant)
Lake Macquarie City Council (Respondent)
Representation: Solicitors:
G Long, Long Legal (Applicant)
S Lucy, Lake Macquarie City Council (Respondent)
File Number(s): 2018/75929
Publication restriction: No

Judgment

  1. COMMISSIONER: This is an appeal by HBU Projects No 2 Pty Ltd against the actual refusal by Lake Macquarie City Council of DA/1582/2017 for proposed multi-dwelling housing at 37 Wilsons Road, Mount Hutton (Lot 103 DP 1076796).

  2. 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”.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. The final orders to give effect to the parties’ agreement under s 34(3) of the Land and Environment Court Act 1979 are:

  1. The Applicant be granted leave to rely upon the following amended plans:

Plan

Drawing

Revision

Date

1.1

Architectural Plans

2.08.2018

(a)

Cover sheet

DA-001

J

(b)

Roof Analysis Plan

DA-001

J

(c)

Lot Plan

DA-100

J

(d)

Ground Floor Site Plan

DA-101

J

(e)

First Floor Site Plan

DA-102

J

(f)

Elevations

DA-201

J

DA-202

J

DA-203

J

(g)

Unit 01-03 Plans

DA-104

J

(h)

Unit 01-03 Elevations

DA-402

J

(i)

Unit 01-03 Section

DA-402

J

(j)

Unit 04-03 Plans

DA-404

J

(k)

Unit 04-06 Elevations

DA-405

J

(l)

Unit 04-06 Sections

DA-406

J

(m)

Unit 07 Plans

DA-407

J

(n)

Unit 07 Elevations and Section

DA-408

J

(o)

Sun Diagrams

DA-500

J

(p)

Materials Selection

DA-501

J

DA-502

J

1.2

Landscape Plans

8.08.2018

(a)

Cover Sheet

L000

K

(b)

Landscape Plan

L301

K

(c)

Landscape Details

L401

G

(d)

Indicative Plant Schedule

L501

H

1.3 (a)

Sedimentation and Erosion Control Plan

C01

8

7.08.2018

(b)

Sedimentation and Erosion Control Details

C02

5

1.4 (a)

Stormwater Plan

C03

8

7.08.2018

(b)

Stormwater Details

C04

5

1.5 (a)

Turning Path Entry Plan Sheet 1

T01

3

7.08.2018

(b)

Turning Path Entry Plan Sheet 2

T02

3

(c)

Turning Path Entry Plan Sheet 3

T03

3

   (d)

Turning Path Exit Plan Sheet 1

T04

3

(e)

Turning Path Exit Plan Sheet 2

T05

3

(f)

Turning Path Exit Plan Sheet 3

T06

3

  1. The Applicant pay the Respondent’s costs pursuant to section 8.15(3) of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 as agreed in the sum of $5,000 within 30 days from the date of these Orders.

  2. The appeal be upheld.

  3. Development consent be granted to DA/1582/2017, as amended, for multi-dwelling housing at Lot 103 DP 1076796, 37 Wilsons Road, Mount Hutton subject to the conditions set out in Annexure A.

……………………….

D M Dickson

Commissioner of the Court

Annexure A (63.2 KB, pdf)

Details
AGLC
HBU Projects No 2 Pty Ltd v Lake Macquarie City Council [2018] NSWLEC 1450
Case
[2018] NSWLEC 1450
Decision Date

CaseChat Overview and Summary

In the case of HBU Projects No 2 Pty Ltd v Lake Macquarie City Council, the applicant sought judicial review of the council's decision to refuse planning approval for a commercial development project. The dispute was heard and determined in the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales. The applicant, HBU Projects No 2 Pty Ltd, argued that the council's decision was unreasonable and based on an improper consideration of the applicant's environmental impact statement.

The primary legal issue before the court was whether the council's refusal to approve the development was unreasonable. This involved examining whether the council had adhered to the correct legal principles in making its decision and had considered all relevant factors. The applicant contended that the council had failed to properly consider the applicant's environmental impact statement, which had been independently assessed and approved by the relevant authorities.

In its judgment, the court found that the council had indeed failed to properly consider the applicant's environmental impact statement. The court held that the council's decision was unreasonable as it did not take into account the independent assessment of the environmental impact statement. Consequently, the court quashed the council's decision and remitted the matter back to the council for reconsideration, with specific directions to ensure that the environmental impact statement was properly considered. The court's decision underscored the importance of procedural fairness and the proper consideration of all relevant factors in the planning approval process.

Orders

Orders of the court

See [5] 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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