Shaw v Bindaree Beef Pty Ltd

Case [2007] NSWCA 125


Appeal Outcome: Special leave refused with costs by the High Court - 16 November 2007

New South Wales


Court of Appeal


CITATION: Shaw v Bindaree Beef Pty Ltd [2007] NSWCA 125
This decision has been amended. Please see the end of the judgment for a list of the amendments.
HEARING DATE(S): 17 May 2007
 
JUDGMENT DATE: 

4 June 2007
JUDGMENT OF: Spigelman CJ at 1; Giles JA at 2; Basten JA at 76
DECISION: (By majority) (1) Refuse leave to amend the notice of appeal to add the proposed ground 6. (2) Appeal dismissed with costs.
CATCHWORDS: Personal injury - injury at processing plant - who was employer - employed by company conducting processing plant - then became trainee under training contract - different company named as employer in training contract - continued with same work - continued to be paid by first company - circumstances in which second company named as employer - not with clear consciousness it was to be the employer - effect of Apprenticeship and Training Act 2001 - if second company was employer, whether Workers Compensation Act 1987 or Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998 made first company the employer for the purposes of those acts.
LEGISLATION CITED: Apprenticeship and Traineeship Act 2001
Vocational Education and Training Accreditation Act 1990
Vocational Education and Training Act 2005
Workers Compensation Act 1987
Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998.
CASES CITED: Australian Broadcasting Corporation v XIVth Commonwealth Games Ltd (1988) 18 NSWLR 540
Bird v Commonwealth (1988) 165 CLR 1
Carroll v Mijovich (1991) 25 NSWLR 441
Codelfa Constructions Pty Ltd v State Rail Authority of NSW (1982) 149 CLR 337
Con-Stan Industries of Australia Pty Ltd v Norwich Winterthur Insurance (Australia) Ltd (1986) 160 CLR 226
Coulton v Holcombe (1986) 162 CLR 1
Ermogenous v Greek Orthodox Community of SA Inc (2001) 209 CLR 95
Hewitt v Benale Pty Ltd (2002) 27 WAR 91
Ingram v Little [1961] 1 QB 31
Klein v Minister for Education [2007] HCA 2
Kotevski v Esselte Australia Pty Ltd [2005] NSWCA 126
Lissenden v CAV Bosch Ltd (1940) AC 412
National Transport Insurance Ltd v Chalker [2005] NSWCA 62
Ocean Road Motel Pty Ltd v Pacific Acceptance Corporation Ltd (1963) 109 CLR 276
OP Industries Pty Ltd v MMI Workers Compensation (NSW) Ltd (1998) 17 NSWCCR 193
Pacific Carriers Ltd v BNP Paribas (2004) 218 CLR 451
Pitcher v Langford (1991) 23 NSWLR 142
Rydelar Pty Ltd v Euphoric Pty Ltd [2001] NSWCA 65
State Planning Authority (NSW) v Nash [1974] 1 NSWLR 684
Suttor v Gundowda Pty Ltd (1950) 81 CLR 418
Taylor v Johnson (1983) 151 CLR 422
Toll (FGCT) Pty Ltd v Alphaparm Pty Ltd (2004) 219 CLR 165
VACC Insurance Ltd v BP Australia Ltd (1999) 47 NSWLR 716
Water Board v Moustakas (1988) 180 CLR 491
Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils Group Apprentices v Statrona Pty Ltd (2002) 12 ANZ Ins Cas 61-530
PARTIES: Jason Ronald Shaw - Appellant
Bindaree Beef…

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AGLC
Shaw v Bindaree Beef Pty Ltd [2007] NSWCA 125
Case
[2007] NSWCA 125
Decision Date

CaseChat Overview and Summary

The appeal concerned a personal injury claim arising from an incident at a processing plant. The appellant, Mr Shaw, had been injured while working at the plant. The central dispute revolved around identifying the correct employer at the time of the injury, as Mr Shaw had been employed by Bindaree Beef Pty Ltd but later entered into a training contract with a different entity, Bindaree Training Pty Ltd, which was named as his employer in that contract. Mr Shaw continued to perform the same work and receive payment from Bindaree Beef Pty Ltd. The appeal was heard by the New South Wales Court of Appeal.

The primary legal issues before the court were: firstly, whether Bindaree Training Pty Ltd was the employer of Mr Shaw at the time of his injury, notwithstanding the circumstances surrounding the training contract and continued payment by Bindaree Beef Pty Ltd; and secondly, if Bindaree Training Pty Ltd was indeed the employer, whether the *Apprenticeship and Training Act 2001* (NSW) or the *Workers Compensation Act 1987* (NSW) and *Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998* (NSW) operated to deem Bindaree Beef Pty Ltd as the employer for the purposes of those workers' compensation statutes.

The majority of the Court of Appeal found that Bindaree Training Pty Ltd was not the employer of Mr Shaw at the time of his injury. Their Honours reasoned that the naming of Bindaree Training Pty Ltd as the employer in the training contract was not done with a clear consciousness that it was intended to be the employer in substance. The continued payment by Bindaree Beef Pty Ltd and the nature of the work performed were significant factors in this determination. Consequently, the court held that the provisions of the *Apprenticeship and Training Act 2001* and the relevant workers' compensation legislation did not operate to deem Bindaree Beef Pty Ltd as the employer in this context.

By majority, the Court of Appeal refused leave to amend the notice of appeal to add a proposed ground 6 and dismissed the appeal with costs.

Orders

Orders of the court

(By majority) (1) Refuse leave to amend the notice of appeal to add the proposed ground 6. (2) Appeal dismissed with costs.

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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