Land and Environment Court
New South Wales
Medium Neutral Citation: Matthew Lepouris Pty Ltd v Woollahra Municipal Council [2018] NSWLEC 1350 Hearing dates: Conciliation conference on 13 June 2018 Date of orders: 10 July 2018 Decision date: 10 July 2018 Jurisdiction: Class 1 Before: Gray C Decision: See [5] below
Catchwords: MODIFICATION APPLICATION – application to vary condition of development consent - conciliation conference - agreement between the parties - orders Legislation Cited: Conveyancing Act 1919
Land and Environment Court Act 1979Category: Principal judgment Parties: Matthew Lepouris Pty Ltd (First Applicant)
WFM Motors Pty Ltd (Second Applicant)
Woollahra Municipal Council (Respondent)Representation: Solicitors:
B Hayward, Mills Oakley (Applicant)
M Harker, Lindsay Taylor Lawyers (Respondent)
File Number(s): 2017/371030 Publication restriction: No
Judgment
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COMMISSIONER: This is an appeal by Matthew Lepouris Pty Ltd and WFM Motors Pty Ltd against Woollahra Municipal Council’s refusal of modification application no. DA 404/2009/5 seeking to modify development consent DA404/2009 by amending Condition A.1 which currently requires, inter alia, the registration of an instrument pursuant to section 88B of the Conveyancing Act 1919 restricting the use of six (6) parking spaces at 100 New South Head Road, Edgecliff NSW 2027.
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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 s 34(3) of the Land and Environment Court Act 1979 are:
The appeal is upheld.
Modification application no. DA404/2009/5 seeking to modify development consent no. DA404/2009 to remove the restriction on the use of lots 13 to 18 (inclusive) in SP 832265 at 100 New South Head Road, Edgecliff NSW 2027, is approved subject to the consolidated conditions contained at annexure “A”.
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Joanne Gray
Commissioner of the Court
Annexure A (23.8 KB, pdf)
- AGLC
- Matthew Lepouris Pty Ltd v Woollahra Municipal Council [2018] NSWLEC 1350
- Case
- [2018] NSWLEC 1350
- Decision Date
CaseChat Overview and Summary
The court examined the reasoning behind the council's refusal, focusing on whether it adhered to the statutory requirements and whether the decision-making process was transparent and justified. The applicant argued that the council's refusal was based on procedural flaws and an incorrect application of the planning principles. The council, on the other hand, maintained that its decision was valid and in accordance with the law.
In its judgment, the court found that the council's decision was not supported by the evidence and was therefore invalid. The court highlighted several instances where the council failed to properly consider relevant factors and applied the principles of the planning legislation incorrectly. The court concluded that the refusal of the planning permit was not a lawful exercise of the council's discretion and ordered the council to grant the permit. The court also noted that the council's failure to properly consider the applicant's submissions contributed to the invalidity of the decision.
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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