Hodgson v Sydney Water Corporation

[2016] NSWDC 361

District Court

New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation:	Hodgson v Sydney Water Corporation [2016] NSWDC 361
Hearing dates:	21 September 2016-23 September 2016,21 November 2016-22 November 2016, 25 November 2016
Date of orders:	15 December 2016
Decision date:	15 December 2016
Jurisdiction:	Civil
Before:	Dicker SC DCJ
Decision:	(1) Judgment for the plaintiff against the defendant. (2) Liberty to the parties to bring in Short Minutes of Order reflecting the mathematically agreed judgment sum. (3) The defendant is to pay the plaintiff’s costs of the proceedings as agreed or assessed. (4) Liberty to apply in relation to costs. (5) Exhibits to be retained for 28 days.
Catchwords:	Tort – negligence – fall on concrete apron of drain crossing public beach – whether risk obvious – practicability of interim measures – whether risk warning given – Sections 5B, 5D, 5F, 5I, 5M, 42 and 43A of the Civil Liability Act.
Legislation Cited:	Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) Sydney Water Act 1994 (NSW) Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW)
Cases Cited:	Adeels Palace Pty Ltd v Moubarak (2009) 239 CLR 420 Bankstown City Council v Zraika [2016] NSWCA 51 Berkeley Challenge Pty Ltd v Howarth [2013] NSWCA 370 Brodie v Singleton Shire Council (2001) 206 CLR 512 Curtis v Harden Shire Council [2014] NSWCA 314; 88 NSWLR 10 Dybka v McKenzie [2001] NSWCA 171 Jackson v McDonald’s Australia Ltd [2014] NSWCA 162 Mansfield v Great Lakes Council [2016] NSWCA 204 Medlin v State Government Insurance Office (1995) 182 CLR 1 Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District v Starkey [2016] NSWCA 114 Penrith City Council v Parkes [2004] NSWCA 201 Roads and Maritime Services v Grant [2015] NSWCA 138 Rockdale City Council v Simmons [2015] NSWCA 102 Sharp v Parramatta City Council [2015] NSWCA 260 Stojan (No 9) Pty Ltd v Kenway [2009] NSWCA 364 Strong v Woolworths Ltd (2012) 246 CLR 182 Takla v Nasr [2013] NSWCA 435 Wallace v Kam (2013) 250 CLR 375 Wilkinson v Law Courts Ltd [2001] NSWCA 196
Category:	Principal judgment
Parties:	Phoebe Hodgson (Plaintiff) Sydney Water Corporation (Defendant)
Representation:	Counsel: R Foord (Plaintiff) S Glascott (Defendant)   Solicitors: Deniston Day (Plaintiff) Makinson d’Apice (Defendant)
File Number(s):	2015/198391

Judgment

1. These proceedings are brought by the plaintiff in negligence for damages for personal injuries sustained by the plaintiff in a fall which occurred on 30 November 2013 when the plaintiff was crossing a drain owned by the defendant corporation, then situated on the beach at Rose Bay in Sydney in New South Wales.

2. The plaintiff claims that the drain, which was constructed in the form of a concrete apron in front of a pipe which discharged water onto the concrete apron and then into the sea, was slippery and dangerous at the time and this caused the plaintiff’s fall and the injuries suffered by her.

The Statement of Claim

3. The Statement of Claim upon which the plaintiff relies was filed on 7 July 2015. The plaintiff pleads in the Statement of Claim that at all material times…