In the Australian courts

New South Wales

• Builder's breach of statutory warranties warrants discipline  |  Boyd trading as Kalana Homes v Commissioner for Fair Trading [2018] NSWCATOD 46

• Construing a contract - when does ambiguity matter?  |  Cherry v Steele-Park [2017] NSWCA 295

• Watch what you say if you want to rely on the contract  |  CPB Contractors Pty Ltd v Rizzani de Eccher Australia Pty Ltd [2017] NSWSC 1798

• It pays to know who you are contracting with and to firm up payment arrangements before terminating a construction contract  |  Primelime (NSW) Pty Ltd v B.A.E.C. Contracting Pty Ltd [2018] NSWSC 372

• Liquidation results in stay of recovery proceedings  |  Seymour Whyte Constructions Pty Ltd v Ostwald Bros Pty Ltd (in liq); Ostwald Bros Pty Ltd (in liq) v Seymour Whyte Constructions Pty Ltd [2018] NSWSC 412

Queensland

• Oppressive material can lead to indemnity costs order  |  John Holland Pty Ltd v Adani Abbot Point Terminal Pty Ltd (No 2) [2018] QSC 48

• Interlocutory injunction successful in stopping enforcement of BCIPA adjudication decision  |  Low v MCC Pty Ltd & Ors; MCC Pty Ltd v Low [2018] QSC 6

• Arbitrator’s independent reasoning upheld  |  Mango Boulevard Pty Ltd v Mio Art Pty Ltd [2018] QCA 39

• Brevity does not constitute a jurisdictional error!  |  Watkins Contracting Pty Ltd v Hyatt Ground Engineering Pty Ltd [2018] QSC 65

South Australia

• No reference date, no payment claim – the importance of correctly identifying a reference date  |  The Trustee for Allway Unit Trust trading as Westside Mechanical Contracting Pty Ltd v R&D Airconditioning Pty Ltd & Ors [2018] SASC 46

Victoria

• Factors to consider when calculating a quantum meruit for variation works  |  Mann v Paterson Constructions Pty Ltd [2018] VSC 119

Western Australia

• Another adjudication determination quashed for jurisdictional error – the continuing trend in WA  |  Clough Projects Australia Pty Ltd v Floreani [2018] WASC 101