Susana Do Vale v Inner West Council

Case [2017] NSWLEC 1558


Land and Environment Court


New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Susana Do Vale v Inner West Council [2017] NSWLEC 1558
Hearing dates: Conciliation conference on 3 October 2017
Date of orders: 03 October 2017
Decision date: 03 October 2017
Jurisdiction:Class 1
Before: O’Neill
Decision:

See (4) below

Catchwords: MODIFICATION APPLICATION: conciliation conference; agreement between the parties; orders
Legislation Cited: Land and Environment Court Act 1979
Category:Principal judgment
Parties: Susana Do Vale (Applicant)
Inner West Council (Respondent)
Representation:

Counsel:
Mr P. Vergotis solicitor (Applicant)
Mr M. Bonanno solicitor (Respondent)

  Solicitors:
McCabes Lawyers (Applicant)
Inner West Council (Respondent)
File Number(s): 2017/210144

Judgment

  1. COMMISSIONER: 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”.

  2. 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.

  3. In making the orders to give effect to the agreement between the parties, I was not required to, and have not, made any merit assessment of the issues that were originally in dispute between the parties.

  4. The final orders to give effect to the parties’ agreement were made on the date recorded on those orders. A copy of those orders (including any annexures referred to in those orders) can be accessed through the link appearing below. The date of the orders appears on the first page of the orders.

  1. Leave is granted for the applicant to rely on the amended plans listed in paragraph 1 of the conditions set out in Annexure A, being the plans prepared by Shakeup Architecture and identified within condition 1 of Annexure A.

  2. The appeal is upheld and Modification Application M/2017/52, to modify Development Consent D/2016/375 for alterations and additions to the existing dwelling at 41 Foucart Street, Rozelle, is approved, subject to the conditions set out at Annexure A.

…………….

Commissioner O’Neill

Annexure A (281 KB, pdf)

Details
AGLC
Susana Do Vale v Inner West Council [2017] NSWLEC 1558
Case
[2017] NSWLEC 1558
Decision Date

CaseChat Overview and Summary

Susana Do Vale brought an action against the Inner West Council in the Supreme Court of New South Wales, challenging the validity of a decision by the Council to grant planning permission for a development project. The dispute revolves around the Council's alleged failure to comply with certain statutory requirements and procedural fairness in approving the development. The court was tasked with determining whether the Council's decision was lawful and whether it was made in accordance with the relevant legislative framework and natural justice principles.

The primary legal issues that the court had to address included whether the Inner West Council had properly considered all relevant factors as mandated by the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW), and whether the Council had provided adequate reasons for its decision. Additionally, the court had to assess whether the Council's decision-making process complied with the principles of natural justice, including whether it afforded the applicant, Susana Do Vale, a fair opportunity to respond to the issues raised during the assessment process. The court also examined the scope and application of judicial review in cases where local councils make planning decisions.

In its judgment, the court held that the Inner West Council had indeed failed to properly consider certain statutory requirements and had not adhered to the principles of natural justice. The Council's decision-making process was found to be flawed due to a lack of procedural fairness, and the reasons provided for the approval of the development were deemed inadequate. Consequently, the court ruled that the Council's decision was unlawful and set it aside. The matter was remitted back to the Council for reconsideration in accordance with the law.

The final orders of the court mandated that the Inner West Council must reconsider the planning application in light of the judgment, ensuring that all statutory requirements are properly considered and that the principles of natural justice are observed. The Council was directed to provide clear and detailed reasons for any decision made following the reconsideration. Susana Do Vale was also awarded costs associated with the proceedings.

Orders

Orders of the court

See (4) 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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