Obiter

Causation of damage:

Did the defendant cause the damage?

In order to successfully sue, the plaintiff must prove damage on the balance of probabilities, with the test for remoteness of damage is ‘foreseeability’ for the tort of nuisance: Overseas Tankship (UK) Ltd v Miller Steamship Co Ltd (The Wagon Mound (No 2)) [1967] 1 AC 617.⁹⁴

Was the damage reasonably foreseeable?

Whether the damage was reasonably foreseeable is a significant principle limiting liability in private nuisance (and in negligence): Gales Holdings Pty Ltd v Tweed Shire Council [2006] NSWLEC 85.⁹⁵

The case of Melbourne City Council v Thompson [2007] NSWCA 344 involved damages arising from water ingress into the plaintiff’s property.⁹⁶ The water allegedly originated from council-managed land and caused damage over time. The primary issue was whether foreseeability of harm and reasonableness of response are necessary elements for nuisance liability. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal and upheld the trial judge’s finding that the council was liable in nuisance.

In Melbourne City Council v Thompson [2007] NSWCA 344, Emmett JA said at [142] that the ‘liability for the tort of nuisance arises only for losses arising from a failure to address risks that a reasonable person would recognise as needing to be addressed’.⁹⁷

FOOTNOTES:

1. Hargrave v Goldman (1963) 110 CLR 40, 60 [6] (PC) (‘Hargrave‘). The Privy Council upheld the decision of the High Court that an occupier of land was liable for failing to prevent the spread of a fire that originated from the occupier’s land. ↩︎
2. Ibid 60. Moreover, it is not an essential element in liability for a nuisance that it should emanate from land belonging to the defendant, although commonly it does. See Esso Petroleum Co Ltd v Southport Corporation (1953) 2 All ER 1204, 1207; affirmed (1956) AC 218, 60 [7]. ↩︎
3. Carolyn Sappideen et al, Torts: Commentary and Materials (Lawbook Co, 10th ed, 2009) 747. ↩︎
4. LexisNexis, Halsbury’s Laws of Australia (online at 10 February 2024) 415 Tort, ‘3 Continuing cause of action’ [415-625]. ↩︎
5. Halsbury’s Laws of Australia (n 4) [415-630]. ↩︎
6. Sedleigh-Denfield v O’Callaghan [1940] AC 880 (House of Lords) (‘Sedleigh-Denfield‘). ↩︎
7. See Hargrave (n 1). ↩︎
8. Southern Properties (WA) Pty Ltd v Executive Director, Dept of Conservation & Land Management (2012) 42 WAR 287, 346 (Pullin JA). ↩︎
9. Morgan v Khyatt [1964] 1 WLR 475 (PC) (Lord Morris of Borth-y-Gest). On appeal from NZ. ↩︎
10. Munro v Southern Dairies Ltd [1955] VLR 332 (Scholl J) (‘Munro‘); Halsey v Esso Petroleum Co Ltd [1961] 2 All ER 145 (QB) (Veale J) (‘Halsey‘). ↩︎
11. Pantalone v Alaouie (1989) 18 NSWLR 119 (Giles J). ↩︎
12. Munro (n 10); Don Brass Foundry Pty Ltd v Stead (1948) 48 SR (NSW) 482 (Jordan CJ, Davidson and Street JJ). ↩︎
13. Sturges v Bridgman (1879) 11 Ch D 852 (Thesiger, Baggallay, and Brett LLJ) (‘Sturges‘); Haddon v Lynch [1911] VLR 5 (Beckett J), church bells; McKenzie v Powley (1916) SALR 1 (Sir Samuel Way CJ), band playing, clapping, singing, loud ejaculations of ‘amen’ and ‘hallelujah’; Christie v Davey [1893] 1 Ch 316 (Ch) (North J); Spencer v Silva [1942] SASR 213, 219 (Mayo J), circular saw. ↩︎
14. Raciti v Hughes (1995) 7 BPR 14, 83 (Talbot J) (‘Raciti‘). The concentration of bright lights in plaintiff’s backyard; Abbott v Arcus (1948) 50 WALR 41; Bank of New Zealand v Greenwood [1984] 1 NZLR 525. ↩︎
15. Raciti (n 14). In this case, the nuisance was the deliberate snooping on neighbour and recording on video tape; Cf Bathurst City Council v Saban (1985) 2 NSWLR 704 (Young J). No right to privacy from photography. ↩︎
16. Hargrave (n 1). ↩︎
17. St Helen’s Smelting Co v Tipping (1865) 11 HL Cas 642 (Lord Westbury) (‘St Helen’s Smelting Co‘), cited in Wolters Kluwer, Australian Torts – Property torts Commentary (online at 10 February 2025) [33-060]. ↩︎
18. Hargrave (n 1) 762. ↩︎
19. Halsey (n 10). ↩︎
20. Ibid 691. ↩︎
21. St Helen’s Smelting Co (n 17). ↩︎
22. Ibid. ↩︎
23. Ibid. ↩︎
24. Miller v Jackson [1977] 3 WLR 20 (Lord Denning MR, Geoffrey Lane and Cumming-Bruce LLJ). ↩︎
25. Ibid; Sturges (n 13). ↩︎
26. Lester-Travers v City of Frankston [1970] VR 2 (Anderson J). ↩︎
27. Thompson-Schwab v Costaki [1956] 1 WLR 335 (Lord Evershed MR). ↩︎
28. Ibid. ↩︎
29. Bilic & Bilic v Nicholls & Ors [2013] QDC 110, [21] (Dearden DCJ). ↩︎
30. Ibid. ↩︎
31. Wolters Kluwer, Australian Torts – Property torts Commentary (online, 12 September 2025) [33–020]. ↩︎
32. Cunard v Antifyre Ltd [1933] 1 KB 551 (KB) (Lord Hanworth MR, Lawrence and Romer LJ). ↩︎
33. Hunter v Canary Wharf Ltd [1997] AC 655 (House of Lords) (Lord Goff of Chieveley). ↩︎
34. Nicholls v Ely Beet Sugar Factory Ltd [1936] Ch 343, 349 (Lord Wright MR), disturbance of easement. ↩︎
35. LexisNexis, Halsbury’s Laws of Australia (online, 12 March 2024) 415 Tort, ‘3 Title to sue’ [415-640]. ↩︎
36. Oldham v Lawson (No 1) [1976] VR 654 (Harris J) (‘Oldham‘); Malone v Laskey [1907] 2 KB 141 (Collins MR) (‘Malone‘). Cistern was dislodged by vibrations from defendant’s electricity generator. ↩︎
37. Ibid. ↩︎
38. Oldham (n 36) 657. ↩︎
39. Ibid. ↩︎
40. Ibid. ↩︎
41. Wolters Kluwer, Australian Torts – Property torts Commentary (online, 10 February 2025) [33-020]. ↩︎
42. Khorasandijan v Bush (1993) QB 727 (Lord Justice Dillon). CA overruled in part. ↩︎
43. Malone (n 36) 151. ↩︎
44. Stockwell v Victoria [2001] VSC 497 (Gillard J). Liability for wild dogs killing plaintiff’s sheep (Crown land). ↩︎
45. Animal Liberation (Vic) Inc v Gasser [1991] 1 VR 51 [62] (Crockett, Fullagar and Nathan JJ). ↩︎
46. Carter v Kenyon (1863) 2 SCR (NSW) 222 (Sir Alfred Stephen CJ, Faucett and Milford JJ), cited in Wolters Kluwer, Australian Torts – Property torts Commentary (online, 10 February 2025) [33-020]. ↩︎
47. Ibid. ↩︎
48. Oldham (n 36) 655. ↩︎
49. Peden Pty Ltd v Bortolazzo [2006] QCA 350 (Court of Appeal). ↩︎
50. Ibid [29] (McMurdo P). ↩︎
51. Sedleigh-Denfield (n 6). ↩︎
52. Fennell v Robson Excavations Pty Ltd [1977] 2 NSWLR 486 (Samuels, Reynolds and Hutley JJA). ↩︎
53. Ibid 492-493. ↩︎
54. Benning v Wong (1969) 122 CLR 249 (High Court), 298-299, cited in Wolters Kluwer, Australian Torts – Property torts Commentary (online, 10 February 2025) [33-040]. ↩︎
55. Montana Hotels Pty Ltd v Fasson Pty Ltd (1986) 69 ALR 258 (PC) (Lord Bridge of Harwich). ↩︎
56. Ibid; Wolters Kluwer, Australian Torts – Property torts Commentary (online, 10 February 2025) [33-040]. ↩︎
57. Sedleigh-Denfield (n 6); Wolters Kluwer, Australian Torts – Property torts Commentary (online, 10 February 2025) [33-040]. ↩︎
58. Sedleigh-Denfield (n 6) 894. ↩︎
59. Sedleigh-Denfield (n 6). ↩︎
60. Ibid. ↩︎
61. Chastey v Ackland [1895] 2 Ch 389 (CA). ↩︎
62. Bury v Pope (1586) 1 Cro Eliz 118, 78 Eng Rep 375 (Sir Christopher Wray CJ). Established the principle that there is no natural right to light, and cited the maxim cujus est solum ejus est usque ad coelum. ↩︎
63. Ibid. ↩︎
64. Ibid. ↩︎
65. Raciti (n 14); John Gaudin, ‘Raciti v Hugues (NSW)’ (1996) 2 (10) Privacy Law & Policy Reporter 192. ↩︎
66. LexisNexis, Halsbury’s Laws of Australia (online, 12 March 2024) 415 Tort, ‘3 Examples’ [415-630]; Hunter and Others v Canary Wharf Ltd [1997] AC 655, 710-11 per Lord Hoffman. Interference due to large building; Cf Nor-Video Services Ltd v Ontario Hydro (1978) 84 DLR (3d) 221. ↩︎
67. Hunter and Others v Canary Wharf Ltd [1997] AC 655, 710-11. ↩︎
68. Raciti (n 14). The plaintiff alleged that they suffered distress as they were unable to use their backyard normally due to the activation of lights and video recording triggered by movement or noise. ↩︎
69. See Oldham (n 36). ↩︎
70. Ibid 655. ↩︎
71. Oxford Dictionary of Law (Oxford University Press, 10th ed, 2022) ‘nonfeasance’ (def 1). ↩︎
72. Hargrave (n 1) 657; Goldman v Hargrave [1967] 1 AC 645 (PC). ↩︎
73. Ibid. ↩︎
74. Ibid. ↩︎
75. Oxford Dictionary of Law (Oxford University Press, 10^th ed, 2022) ‘misfeasance’ (def 1). ↩︎
76. Rapier v London Tramways Co [1893] 2 Ch 588 (Lindley and Bowen LLJ). ↩︎
77. Walter v Selfe (1851) 64 ER 849, 852, cited in Wolters Kluwer, Australian Torts – Property torts Commentary (online, 10 February 2025) [33-060]. ↩︎
78. Munro (n 10) 334-335 (Scholl J). ↩︎
79. Laws v Florenplace Ltd [1981] 1 A11 ER 659 (Ch D) (Vinelott J). ↩︎
80. Halsey (n 10). ↩︎
81. Robinson v Kilvert (1889) 41 Ch D 88 (Ch D) (Cotton, Lindley and Lopes LLJ). ↩︎
82. McKinnon Industries Ltd v Walker [1951] 3 DLR 577 (PC). On appeal from the Court of Appeal for Ontario, Canada. ↩︎
83. See Halsey (n 10). ↩︎
84. See Munro (n 10). ↩︎
85. Stoakes v Brydes [1958] QWN 5 (Phip J). ↩︎
86. Ibid. ↩︎
87. Christie v Davey [1893] 1 Ch 316 (Ch D) (North J). ↩︎
88. Hollywood Silver Fox Farm v Emmett [1936] 2 KB 468 (KB) (Macnaghten J). ↩︎
89. Ibid. ↩︎
90. Ibid. ↩︎
91. Miller v Jackson [1977] 3 WLR 20, 22 (Lord Denning MR, Geoffrey Lane and Cumming-Bruce LLJ). ↩︎
92. Kennaway v Thompson [1981] QB 88, 94 (Lawton and Waller LLJ, Sir David Cairns). ↩︎
93. Overseas Tankship (UK) Ltd v Miller Steamship Co Ltd (The Wagon Mound (No 2)) [1967] 1 AC 617. ↩︎
94. Gales Holdings Pty Ltd v Tweed Shire Council [2006] NSWLEC 85 (Talbot J). ↩︎
95. Melbourne City Council v Thompson [2007] NSWCA 344 (Court of Appeal). ↩︎
96. Ibid [142] (Emmett J). ↩︎

Pages: 1 2 3 4