Pennant Hills Golf Club Limited v Roads and Traffic Authority of New South Wales

[1999] NSWCA 110

NSW Court of Appeal

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Interrogate

Catchwords

1. Land Law
2. › Compulsory acquisition
3. › Compensation
4. › Easement or right to use land under surface
5. › Whether acquisition consists only of easement for construction and maintenance of works
6. › Whether right to have soil remain undisturbed is incidental to easement
7. › Land Acquisition (Just Terms) Compensation Act 1991 (NSW), s 62(1)
1. Land Law
2. › Easements
3. › Nature and characteristics
4. › Whether grant wholly deprives owner of property rights
5. › Whether rights amount to joint occupation or substantially deprive owner of proprietorship
6. › Distinction between easement and fee simple or profit à prendre
1. Land Law
2. › Easements
3. › Construction of grant
4. › Complex of rights
5. › Whether negative restriction on soil disturbance is incidental to positive easement for construction and maintenance
1. Statutory Interpretation
2. › Construction of compensation-limiting provisions
3. › Strict construction where property rights affected
4. › Purposive approach
5. › Avoidance of absurd or inconvenient results
6. › Land Acquisition (Just Terms) Compensation Act 1991 (NSW), s 62(1)

Quick Take

A grant of rights for underground rock anchors that includes a right to have soil remain undisturbed, a right to enter and construct, and a right to remove soil to the extent necessary, constitutes only an easement or right to use land under the surface for construction and maintenance of works within s 62(1) of the Land Acquisition (Just Terms) Compensation Act 1991 (NSW). Such incidental negative restrictions do not convert an easement into a fee simple, profit à prendre, or covenant. Accordingly, no compensation is payable beyond actual damage done in construction.