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    Construction Law Update March 2019

    5 mins  08.04.2019 Richard Crawford, Andrew Hales, Michael Creedon, David Pearce, Alison Sewell, Owen Cooper, James Kearney, Tom French

    This months’ edition of CLU covers important recent decisions in the Federal Court of Australia, as well as the NSW and Victorian Supreme Courts, and Queensland’s District Court, Supreme Court and Court of Appeal. It will be a useful guide for those of you interested in: the existence (or not) of concurrent duties in tort and contract (Commonwealth); the established position on agency in New South Wales; whether rights to issue invoices for work performed prior to novation accrue once a contract is novated (Qld); whether an owner’s right to accrued liquidated damages for delay can be taken into account when determining the builders entitlement to payment under the contract (Vic); and what the court requires when a party elects to run a global or total costs claim (WA). We also highlight recent developments in respect of the court’s interpretation of Security of Payment legislation.

    Your March 2019 edition is now available. You can also access past editions.

    Download Copy

    Legislative update

    Queensland

    • Taskforce to investigate Queensland construction insolvencies

    In the Australian courts

    Commonwealth

    • Choosing the red pill or blue pill (or both): claims for breach of contract and negligence in construction | Sitzler Pty Ltd v GPT RE Limited as Responsible Entity of the General Property Trust [2018] FCA 1496

    New South Wales

    • An invalid or missing reference date may invalidate a payment claim | Castle Constructions Pty Ltd v N & R Younis Plumbing Pty Ltd [2019] NSWSC 225
    • Principal v Agent: Who is personally liable for damages for breach of a contract? | Cincotta v Russo [2019] NSWSC 272
    • Contractors should exercise rights to relief rather than seeking two bites of the cherry | Icon Co (NSW) Pty Ltd v AMA Glass Facades Pty Ltd 2019 NSWSC 250
    • Security of Payment – 'Fresh' Reference Dates  | Impero Pacific Group Pty Ltd v Bonheur Holdings Pty Ltd [2019] NSWSC 286
    • Adjudication applications – what are the true merits of the claim? | MMIR Pty Limited v Iskra [2019] NSWSC 35
    • Liquidators – get those payment claims and adjudications happening before the SOPA amendments commence | Seymour Whyte Construction Pty Ltd v Ostwald Bros Pty Ltd (In liquidation) [2019] NSWCA 11

    Queensland

    • Penalty interest unavailable for work done prior to contract novation  | Australian Building Insurance Services Pty Ltd v CGU Insurance Limited [2019] QDC 18
    • Showing your working doesn't give rise to a right to recalculate | Crofts v Multisport Concepts Pty Ltd (in liq) [2019] QCA 26
    • Adjudicator's interpretation of payment claim found to be unreviewable by court  | Fulton Hogan Construction Pty Ltd v QH & M Birt Pty Ltd & Ors [2019] QSC 23

    Victoria

    • Liquidated damages: DBCA 'no fault' termination payments | Fullinfaw v Neil Fletcher Design Pty Ltd [2019] VSC 142
    • Victorian Security of Payment legislation: Identification requirements for payment claims | John Beever (Aust) Pty Limited v Paper Australia Pty Ltd [2019] VSC 126

    Western Australia

    • Pleading requirements for global claims in WA | Built Environs WA Pty Ltd v Perth Airport Pty Ltd [No 2] [2019] WASC 76

    Tags

    Onsite Construction Law Update Projects, infrastructure and construction
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    https://www.minterellison.com/articles/construction-law-update-march-2019

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