Rural Funds Management Limited v The Minister Administering the Water Management Act 2000

Land and Environment Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Rural Funds Management Limited v The Minister Administering the Water Management Act 2000 [2016] NSWLEC 19 Hearing dates:3, 17, 18 December 2015; written submissions 29 January 2016; 2 and 9 March 2016Date of orders: 18 March 2016 Decision date: 18 March 2016 Jurisdiction:Class 1Before: Moore J Decision: At [57] Catchwords: INTERPRETATION – separate question - time for commencement of appeal Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 Land and Environment Court Act 1979 Land and Environment Court Rules 2007 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 Water Management Act 2000 Cases Cited: Birdon Contracting Pty ltd v Hawkesbury City Council [2009] NSWLEC 85 Category:Procedural and other rulingsParties: Rural Funds Management Limited (Applicant) The Minister Administering the Water Management Act 2000 (First Respondent) Rosella Sub TC Pty Limited (Second Respondent) Representation: Counsel: Mr R Beasley SC/Ms A Knox (Appellant) Mr J Hutton/Ms R Mansted (First Respondent) Mr A Leopold SC/Mr C Colquhoun (Second Respondent)   Solicitors: Sparke Helmore (Appellant) Office of Water (First Respondent) Johnston Winter & Slattery (Second Respondent) File Number(s):11114 of 2015Publication restriction:No.TABLE OF CONTENTSJudgmentIntroductionThe competing positions of the partiesThe statutory frameworkThe Department’s process for approvalNotifying objectionsThe right of objection appealMatters potentially arising from the approval processThe running of time – the factsIs the appeal in time?No express power to extend timeRunning of time – commencementConclusionOrdersJudgmentIntroduction In these Class 1 proceedings, on 3 December 2015, Preston CJ set down a separate question for determination. That question is in the following terms: Whether the...