In the media
The pipeline of new home building continues to
fall
The ABS released the Lending to Households and Businesses
data for May 2023 today, as well as the same month's building
approval for detached houses and multi-units covering all states
and territories. The number of loans issued for the purchase or
construction of a new home increased by 1.9 per cent in May, which
still leaves the last three months 31.1 per cent below the same
quarter a year ago (3 July 2023). More.
Institute calls for amendments to NSW's new
affordable housing planning rules
The New South Wales chapter of the Australian Institute of
Architects says it fully supports the government's measures to
deliver more housing; however, it is calling on the government to
make amendments to the legislation that allow for affordable
housing provisions to be limited to 15 years (3 July 2023). More.
Stamp duty axed for thousands of first home buyers from
1 July
On Saturday 1 July, the threshold for stamp duty
exemptions will increase from $650,000 to $800,00 and the threshold
for stamp duty concessions will rise from $800,000 to $1 million.
It means that first home buyers purchasing a property up to
$800,000 will pay no stamp duty, saving up to $30,735 under the
changes (30 June 2023). More.
HAFF Bill central for coordinated approach to increase
housing supply
"The Housing Australia's Future Fund Bill 2023,
that failed to pass Parliament at the last sitting, aims to address
the affordability problem by increasing the supply of new
homes," said Jocelyn Martin, HIA Deputy Managing Director -
Policy and Industry (28 June 2023). More.
Sydney becomes Australia's most expensive city to
build in
Sydney is the most expensive city to build in across
Australia, according to a new report from professional services
consultancy Turner & Townsend (27 June 2023). More.
In practice
Australian Bureau of Statistics: Building approvals,
Australia
ABS has released its May 2023 statistics on the number of
dwelling units and value of buildings approved (3 July
2023). Read more here.
Decisions reserved as at 30 June 2023
The Court of Appeal maintains a list of matters before the
Court for which judgement is reserved (30 June 2023). Read more here.
Published
Engineers Australia accredited programs
Engineers Australia has released its comprehensive list of
accredited engineering programs from Australian tertiary and VET
education providers (29 June 2023). Read more here.
Housing Industry Association: NSW site signage and
advertising requirements
In NSW, various laws determine what details are required
to be displayed on site signs for residential building work, as
well as details when adverting your business services (22 June
2023). Read more here.
Cases
Doonside Holdings Pty Ltd v Woollahra
Municipal Council [2023] NSWLEC
1343
DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION - additions and alterations to an
existing commercial building - non-compliance with height and floor
space ratio standards - cl 4.6 variation of development standards -
conciliation conference - agreement between the parties -
orders.
Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979; Environmental
Planning and Assessment Regulation 2021; Land and Environment Court
Act 1979; State Environmental Planning Policy (Biodiversity and
Conservation) 2021; State Environmental Planning Policy (Resilience
and Hazards) 2021; Woollahra Local Environmental Plan 2014.
Smith v Waverley Council
[2023] NSWLEC 1341
DEVELOPMENT APPEAL - conciliation conference - agreement
between the parties - orders.
Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979; Land and
Environment Court Act 1979; State Environmental Planning Policy
(Building Sustainability Index: BASIX) 2004; State Environmental
Planning Policy (Resilience and Hazards) 2021; Waverley Local
Environmental Plan 2012.
Windang Kruger Resorts Pty Ltd ATF
Windang Kruger Resorts Unit Trust v Wollongong City Council (No
2) [2023] NSWLEC
1339
DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION - finalising conditions of consent
following directions in primary judgement - groundwater
contamination mitigation details - permeable reactive barrier -
numerous disputed conditions.
Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979; State Environmental
Planning Policy (Resilience and Hazards) 2021.
Drummond v Gordian Runoff Ltd (No
2) [2023] NSWSC
731
PRECEDENT - whether NCAT decisions binding on tribunal -
whether District Court judgments binding on NCAT - principles at
[21] - neither binding but legally persuasive.
COSTS - plaintiffs sue insurer for $215,000 in NCAT - case turns on
legal issue already determined by NCAT and District Court in
insurer's favour - insurer makes Calderbank offer when serving
defence - $10,000 inclusive - insurer does not refer to NCAT and
District Court decisions - no evidence plaintiffs aware of these
decisions - rejection of offer not unreasonable in
circumstances.
COSTS - offer of compromise - 'walk away' - proceedings on
foot for a year - legal issues fully ventilated - application of
Regency Media considered at [28]-[31].
Uniform Civil Procedure Rules.
DSJ Carpentry & Construction Pty
Ltd v Trajcevski [2023] NSWCATAP
174
CONTRACTS - parties - name of company and licence number
of individual on quotation - decision that both were parties to the
contract affirmed.
APPEALS - procedural fairness - failure to give reasons - adequacy
of reasons.
APPEALS - orders - variation to remove potential ambiguity.
Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2013 (NSW); Civil and
Administrative Tribunal Rules 2014 (NSW); Home Building Act 1989
(NSW).
Sunshine East Pty Ltd v CBEM Holdings
Pty Ltd [2023] NSWSC
744
APPEALS - procedure - leave to appeal against summary
judgment of District Court Registrar - plaintiff/judgment debtor
ordered to pay unanswered progress claim for building works
undertaken by defendant/judgment creditor pursuant to s 15 of the
Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999
(NSW) - where summary judgment entered against plaintiff/judgment
debtor due to absence of triable defence.
CONTRACTS - parties - agency - whether second plaintiff entered
into contract with defendant for building works - where corporate
agent empowered to enter into trade contracts on behalf of second
plaintiff with prior approval - where no evidence that second
plaintiff did not give prior approval in circumstances from which
approval could be inferred - corporate agent acted with express
actual authority to bind second plaintiff - no triable issue that
second plaintiff was not a party to the contract.
BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION - Home Building Act 1989 (NSW) - where
defendant/judgment creditor was uninsured - statutory prevention to
recover costs of work for failing to insure under s 94(1) not
applicable to parts of the work that are not "residential
building work" under the Act - where defendant/judgment
creditor was unlicensed - where statutory consequences of being
unlicensed do not include loss of entitlement to progress payments
under s 15 of the Security of Payment Act - no triable issues arise
due to the defendant/judgment creditor being uninsured or
unlicensed.
Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999
(NSW); District Court Act 1973 (NSW); Home Building Act 1989 (NSW);
Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW).
Ganghui Pty Ltd v YTO Construction Pty
Ltd [2023] NSWSC
729
BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION - multi-storey residential
development - dispute between developer and builder - whether there
was an "arrangement" or "further arrangement"
outside the contract - whether developer engaged in misleading or
deceptive conduct - developer's claim under "handwritten
agreement" - whether developer's final payment certificate
effective - whether director of developer appointed as
developer's principal's representative - purported
variations - whether work in question was within scope of works
under the contract.
EVIDENCE - witness evidence - interpreter - where interpreter
reported that plaintiff's director's translator had advised
director as to the evidence he should give in their native tongue
during court adjournment - whether such conduct is
established.
Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999
(NSW); Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth); Corporations Act
2001 (Cth); Evidence Act 1995 (NSW).
Promina Design & Construction Pty
Ltd v The Owners - Strata Plan No. 97449 (No 2)
[2023] NSWCATAP 164
COSTS - failed application for a stay of order
transferring proceedings from Tribunal to a Court - Appeal Panel
not satisfied order capable of being meaningfully stayed - whether
r 38A of the Civil and Administrative Tribunal Rules 2014 (NSW)
engaged or whether special circumstances warranting an order as to
costs established.
Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2013 (NSW); Civil and
Administrative Tribunal Rules 2014 (NSW); Home Building Act 1989
(NSW).
Intelligent Building Pty Ltd v
Ibrahim [2023] NSWCATAP
170
APPEAL - error of law - adequacy of reasons - measure of
damages for breach of contract - whether oral variation of contract
enforceable - whether appeal should be remitted for hearing.
CONTRACT - measure of damages for breach of home building contract
- whether "overpayment" correct measure.
Building and Construction Industry Security Of Payments Act 1999
(NSW); Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2013 (NSW); Civil and
Administrative Tribunal Rules 2014 (NSW); Home Building Act 1989
(NSW); Residential Tenancies Act 2010 (NSW).
Slaveski v Nanevski Developments Pty
Ltd [2023] NSWCA
145
PARTNERSHIPS - winding up - accounts - whether monies
advanced were contributions made to the partnership then loaned to
a partner, or a direct loan outside the partnership - parties not
manifesting legal sophistication - application of Occam's
Razor.
APPEALS - from finding of fact - proof of undocumented payments of
large sums of cash is fraught - inherent unlikelihood of payment
using very large sums in physical cash for a commercial
transaction.
APPEALS - from finding of fact - contribution of a sum of $200,000
was documented - does not matter whether the payments were made to
assist in the purchase of one property or another, or made in cash
or otherwise, where account is to be taken.
CONTRACTS - remedies - declarations - pleadings - claimed
contractual entitlement to consultancy fees not pleaded nor an
issue fairly raised in the proceedings.
Home Building Act 1989 (NSW); Partnership Act 1892 (NSW).
TNT Building Trades Pty Ltd v
Baker [2023] NSWCATAP
178
APPEALS - appeal on question of law - scope of question of
law - allegations of constructive failure to exercise
jurisdiction.
APPEALS - from exercise of discretion - acting on the wrong
principle.
APPEALS - leave to appeal - principles governing - leave to appeal
refused.
BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION - Home Building Act 1989 (NSW) - building
dispute - where the builder breached statutory warranties - money
order made against the builder.
Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2013 (NSW); Civil and
Administrative Tribunal Rules 2014 (NSW); Environmental Planning
and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW); Environmental Planning and
Assessment Regulation 2000 (NSW); Fair Trading Act 1987 (NSW); Home
Building Act 1989 (NSW).
Legislation
NSW legislation
Regulations and other miscellaneous instruments
Local Government (General) Regulation 2021 -
published 1 July 2023
Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment
(NSW Planning Portal) Regulation 2023 - published LW 30 June
2023
Environmental planning instruments
Bayside Local Environmental Plan 2021 (Amendment No
3) - published LW 30 June 2023.
Central Coast Local Environmental Plan 2022 (Map
Amendment No 2) - published LW 30 June 2023.
Cessnock Local Environmental Plan 2011 (Map
Amendment No 5) - published LW 30 June 2023.
Ku-ring-gai Local Environmental Plan 2015
(Amendment No 34) - published LW 30 June 2023.
Lake Macquarie Local Environmental Plan 2014 (Map
Amendment No 9) - published LW 30 June 2023.
Newcastle Local Environmental Plan 2012 (Map
Amendment No 3) - published LW 30 June 2023.
North Sydney Local Environmental Plan 2013
(Amendment No 36) - published LW 30 June 2023.
Parramatta Local Environmental Plan 2023 (Amendment
No 3) - published LW 30 June 2023.
Penrith Local Environmental Plan 2010 (Amendment No
29) - published LW 30 June 2023.
Penrith Local Environmental Plan 2010 (Amendment No
30) - published LW 30 June 2023.
Standard Instrument (Local Environmental Plans)
Amendment (Willoughby) Order 2023 - published LW 30 June
2023.
State Environmental Planning Policy (Precincts -
Western Parkland City) Amendment (Penrith Lakes Scheme) 2023 -
published LW 30 June 2023.
Willoughby Local Environmental Plan 2012 (Amendment
No 34) - published LW 30 June 2023.
Wollondilly Local Environmental Plan 2011
(Amendment No 45) - published LW 30 June 2023.
Wollondilly Local Environmental Plan 2011 (Map
Amendment No 7) - published LW 30 June 2023.
Blacktown Local Environmental Plan 2015 (Amendment
No 34) - published LW 29 June 2023.
Canterbury-Bankstown Local Environmental Plan
2023 - published LW 23 June 2023.
Kempsey Local Environmental Plan 2013 (Amendment No
32) - published LW 23 June 2023.
Parramatta Local Environmental Plan 2023 (Amendment
No 4) - published LW 23 June 2023.
Tamworth Regional Local Environmental Plan 2010
(Map Amendment No 1) - published LW 23 June 2023.
Bills introduced non-government
Residential Tenancies Amendment (Rent Freeze) Bill
2023 29/06/2023
Bills passed by both Houses of Parliament
Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment
(Housing and Productivity Contributions) Bill 2023
28/06/2023
Bills assented to
Residential Tenancies Amendment (Rental Fairness)
Act 2023 No 9 - assented to 03 July 2023
Other
Automatic Mutual Recognition (New South Wales)
(Exemption - Various) Declaration 2023
This publication does not deal with every important topic or change in law and is not intended to be relied upon as a substitute for legal or other advice that may be relevant to the reader's specific circumstances. If you have found this publication of interest and would like to know more or wish to obtain legal advice relevant to your circumstances please contact one of the named individuals listed.