Tweed Shire Council v Sikiric (No 2)

In the case of Tweed Shire Council v Sikiric (No 2), the Tweed Shire Council brought an action against Sikiric for contempt of court, asserting that he had failed to comply with earlier orders issued by the court. These orders required Sikiric to remove all chickens and poultry sheds from his property. The case was heard in the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales.

The court was tasked with determining whether Sikiric had indeed contravened the earlier orders and whether he was guilty of contempt of court. The central issue was whether Sikiric had deliberately disregarded the court's directives and whether his actions warranted a finding of contempt.

In its judgment, the court found that Sikiric was indeed in contempt of the orders issued on 9 December 2011. The court determined that Sikiric had intentionally failed to remove the chickens and poultry sheds from his property despite being explicitly ordered to do so. The court emphasised the importance of adhering to court orders and the consequences of non-compliance. The court fined Sikiric $18,000 and imposed a penalty of $2,000 per week until the chickens and poultry sheds were removed. Additionally, the weekly penalty was suspended until 3 June 2012. The court also affirmed its earlier orders regarding the costs of the proceedings and storage of materials, and ordered Sikiric to pay the Council's costs incurred since 1 January 2012 on an indemnity basis.