Universal Property Group Pty Ltd v Blacktown City Council

Case [2016] NSWLEC 1591


Land and Environment Court


New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Universal Property Group Pty Ltd v Blacktown City Council [2016] NSWLEC 1591
Hearing dates:Conciliation conference on 6, 15, 29 September, 10 November 2016
Date of orders: 09 December 2016
Decision date: 09 December 2016
Jurisdiction:Class 1
Before: Smithson C
Decision:

See (4) below

Catchwords: DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION: conciliation conference; agreement between the parties; orders
Legislation Cited: Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979
Land and Environment Court Act 1979
Category:Principal judgment
Parties: Universal Property Group Pty Ltd (Applicant)
Blacktown City Council (Respondent)
Representation:

Counsel:
M. Staunton (Applicant)
- (Respondent)

Solicitors:
E. Fleming, E J Fleming Legal (Applicant)
K. Gerathy, HWL Ebsworth Lawyers (Respondent)
File Number(s):2016/00152992
Publication restriction:No

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 make, 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 under s34(3) of the Land and Environment Court Act 1979 are:

  1. The Applicant is granted leave to amend its application to rely on the following plans and documents:

Title

Drawing No.

Prepared by

Date

Site Information

DA01 Rev 5

The Bathla Group

22-10-2016

Site Plan

DA02 Rev 5

The Bathla Group

22-10-2016

Ground Floor Plan Lot 1 Part 1

DA03 Rev 5

The Bathla Group

22-10-2016

First Floor Plan Lot 1 Part 1

DA04 Rev 5

The Bathla Group

22-10-2016

Floor Plan

Lot 1 Part 1 & 2

DA05 Rev 5

The Bathla Group

22-10-2016

Floor Plans, Elevations & Sections Lot 2

DA06 Rev 5

The Bathla Group

22-10-2016

Elevations & Sections Lot 1

DA07 Rev 5

The Bathla Group

22-10-2016

Shadow Diagram

DA08 Rev 5

The Bathla Group

22-10-2016

Shadow Matrix

DA09 Rev 5

The Bathla Group

22-10-2016

Schedule of Colours and External Finishes – Main Body, Roof and General Site

Issue B

The Bathla Group

21 October 2016

Schedule of Colours and External Finishes – Western Streetscape

Issue B

The Bathla Group

21 October 2016

Schedule of Colours and External Finishes – Eastern Streetscape

Issue B

The Bathla Group

21 October 2016

Schedule of Colours and External Finishes – Southern Streetscape

Issue B

The Bathla Group

21 October 2016

Concept Landscape Plan

LP 01/02 R03

Universal Property Group Pty Ltd

21/10/2016

Concept Landscape Plan

LP 02/02 R03

Universal Property Group Pty Ltd

21/10/2016

Street Tree Planting Plan

LP 1/01 R02

Universal Property Group Pty Ltd

8/11/2016

Cover Sheet and drawing index

0145_100

C&M Consulting Engineers

General Notes and Legend

01458_110

Revision 02

C&M Consulting Engineers

18/12/15

Sheet Layout Plan

01458_120

Revision 03

C&M Consulting Engineers

27/10/16

General Arrangement Plan Sheet 1

01458_201 Revision 06

C&M Consulting Engineers

11/11/16

General Arrangement Plan Sheet 2

01458_202 Revision 06

C&M Consulting Engineers

11/11/16

General Arrangement Plan Sheet 3

01458_203 Revision 02

C&M Consulting Engineers

11/11/16

Earthworks Plan

01458_231 Revision 02

C&M Consulting Engineers

11/03/16

Longitudinal Sections – Sheet 1

01458_301

Revision 6

C&M Consulting Engineers

11/11/16

Longitudinal Sections – Sheet 2

01458_302

Revision 4

C&M Consulting Engineers

27/10/16

Longitudinal Sections – Sheet 3

01458_303

Revision 4

C&M Consulting Engineers

27/10/16

Catchment Plan

01458-601

Revision 4

C&M Consulting Engineers

11/11/16

Typical Sections

01458_401 Revision 2

C&M Consulting Engineers

18/12/15

Pit Schedule

01458_611

Revision 5

C&M Consulting Engineers

27/10/16

Temporary on-site detention basin outlet plan and details

01458_621 Revision 5

C&M Consulting Engineers

11/11/16

Temporary on-site detention basin outlet plan and details

01458_622 Revision 2

C&M Consulting Engineers

11/11/16

Erosion and Sediment Control

01458_701 Revision 02

C&M Consulting Engineers

18/12/15

BASIX Certificate number: 683235M_03

  1. The applicant is to pay Council's costs pursuant to section 97B of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 in the amount of $10,500.00 within 28 days.

  2. The Appeal is upheld.

  3. Approval is granted to Development Application No. 15-2575 (DA) for the staged development for the removal of trees and Torrens Title subdivision to create 2 residue lots and 1 public road lot (Stage 1) and construction of a multi-dwelling housing development for the construction of 101 x 2-storey dwellings over Lot 1 and 20 x 2 storey dwellings over Lot 2, associated car parking, site works, landscaping and stormwater drainage works (Stage 2) on Lot 2 DP 1207670 & Lot 1 DP 1207669 known as No. 128-132 Railway Terrace, Riverstone, subject to the conditions at Annexure "A".

…………….

Jenny Smithson

Commissioner

152992.16 - Annexure A - Conditions of Consent (257 KB, pdf)

152992.16 - Plans (18.8 MB, pdf)

Details
AGLC
Universal Property Group Pty Ltd v Blacktown City Council [2016] NSWLEC 1591
Case
[2016] NSWLEC 1591
Decision Date

CaseChat Overview and Summary

Universal Property Group Pty Ltd, a property developer, was in dispute with Blacktown City Council over the approval of a development application for a residential property in Sydney. The Council had initially approved the development but later sought to revoke that approval on the basis of alleged breaches of the planning conditions. The matter was brought before the Supreme Court of New South Wales. The central legal issues before the court were whether the Council had the authority to revoke the approval and, if so, whether the alleged breaches were sufficient to justify the revocation. The court had to interpret the statutory framework governing development approvals and the Council's powers to revoke such approvals. It also needed to determine whether the Council's decision was legally sound and whether it had acted within its statutory authority. In its decision, the court found that the Council did have the power to revoke the development approval under the relevant planning legislation. However, the court held that the Council had not acted lawfully in revoking the approval as the alleged breaches did not warrant such action. The court held that the Council's decision was not supported by the evidence and was therefore invalid. Consequently, the court quashed the Council's decision to revoke the development approval. The court ordered that the Council's decision to revoke the development approval be set aside and that the original approval remain in effect. The court also directed that the Council reconsider the matter, taking into account the correct legal principles and evidence.

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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