Gosford City Council v Forrester [2010] NSWLEC 49

Gosford City Council v Forrester [2010] NSWLEC 49

The defendant established on the balance of probabilities that each tree had become dangerous at the time it was cut down, satisfying the defence under clause 35(5) of the Gosford Interim Development Order No 122; therefore, the charge of breaching the tree preservation order was not made out.

Jurisdiction
Australia
Judgment Date
01 April 2010
Procedural Posture
Prosecution / Judgment
Outcome
not guilty
Legal Topics
['tree Preservation Orders' 'statutory Interpretation' 'defence of Dangerous Trees']

Case Brief

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Procedural Posture

Prosecution / Judgment

  1. 1 ['Whether the defendant breached the tree preservation order by cutting down trees without consent.' 'Whether the defence that the trees had become dangerous was established under clause 35(5) of the Gosford Interim Development Order No 122.']

Ratio Decidendi

The defendant established on the balance of probabilities that each tree had become dangerous at the time it was cut down, satisfying the defence under clause 35(5) of the Gosford Interim Development Order No 122; therefore, the charge of breaching the tree preservation order was not made out.

Court Disposition

not guilty

Orders

  • ['Charge dismissed']