Keswick Developments Pty Ltd & Anor v Keswick Island Pty Ltd & Ors

[2011] QCA 379

Queensland Court of Appeal

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Interrogate

Catchwords

1. Contract
2. › Discharge, breach and defences to action for breach
3. › Repudiation and non-performance
4. › Repudiation
5. › Application to leases
6. › Long lease at nominal rent with strong sub-lessee protections
7. › Whether breaches of monetary obligations and failure to insure amounted to repudiation
8. › Whether conduct objectively conveyed intention not to be bound
1. Real Property
2. › Crown lands
3. › Queensland
4. › Subleases under Land Act 1994 (Qld)
5. › Whether subleases are purely statutory interests
6. › Whether common law doctrine of repudiation applies to subleases of Crown land
7. › Whether Land Act 1994 (Qld) operates as comprehensive code excluding common law principles
8. › Land Act 1994 (Qld), ss 301, 302, 323, 327, 328, 330, 332, 335, 336, 338, 339, 339A
1. Appeal
2. › New arguments on appeal
3. › Whether respondent permitted to raise argument abandoned at first instance
4. › Whether respondent permitted to raise argument not pleaded or advanced at first instance
5. › Finality of litigation

Quick Take

The common law doctrine of repudiation applies to subleases of Crown land under the Land Act 1994 (Qld); the Act does not operate as a comprehensive code excluding common law contractual principles. Where a sublease has a long term, nominal rent, and strong sub-lessee protections, it will be rare for conduct falling short of abandonment to constitute repudiation, and the broader commercial context (including related transactions giving the sub-lessee compelling reasons to maintain the sublease) is relevant to the objective assessment of whether conduct amounts to repudiation.