The Court dismissed the plaintiff's challenge to an adjudication determination under the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW), finding no jurisdictional error or denial of natural justice across six disputed items. Sackar J held that an adjudicator's reasons need not be lengthy or detailed but must demonstrate active engagement with the dispute in a manner that is reasoned and not arbitrary, and that considerable latitude should be afforded to the manner and form of a determination given the compressed statutory timeframe. The Court also emphasised that a party who presents materials in an opaque or unsupported manner may not be in a position to complain about a terse adjudicator response, and that the adjudicator's obligation is to determine what is properly payable on the materials before them, not merely to award the amount claimed by default.
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