7 As I understand the submission of Mr J J Webster SC, who again appears for the applicant in this appeal, it is alleged that the commissioner admitted the report without regard to the proper principles of admissibility, namely:
(a) the practice of the Court to appoint a court appointed expert when a case involves expert evidence, as is apparent from Practice Direction No. 1 of 2005;
(b) any additional expert evidence will not be allowed except with leave specially granted by the Court;
(c) the practice of the Court for the joint conferencing of experts, if more than one, and the production of a joint report, which did not occur in this case: Practice Direction No. 17, cl 19(c); and
(e) the fact that, in the present case, the report of Ms Morrish raised issues outside those which were originally particularised.
8 The last point requires some explanation. The council's amended statement of issues, which was relied upon at the hearing identified the following issues:
DCP 39 - Height Plane
1. The proposed development does not comply with cl 3.3. of Development Control Plan No. 39 - Eastwood Town Planning Centre ("DCP 39"), in particular the height plane measured from the western side of Trelawney Street.
Discrepancies in Plans
2. ….[Omitted]
Issues raised by objectors
3. Traffic and Parking
….
4. Design
· The design of the building does not enhance the Eastwood town Centre.
5. Privacy
· The proposal will have adverse privacy impacts on the properties on the southern side of Rowe Street.
6. Height
· The height of the building is excessive.
7. Precedent
· Approval of this development in breach of the height plane provisions in DCP 39 will set an adverse precedent for future development in the Eastwood Town Centre.
9 At the commencement of the hearing, Mr Clay, appearing for the council, re-framed issue 1 in the following way:
CLAY: The issue encapsulated by the statement of issue can be reframed this way. Whether the proposal properly reflects what is expected by the Development Control Plan in relation to its presentation to Trelawney Street and the vicinity of Trelawney Street, that is [,] is there too much building to the Trelawney Street boundary part of the property such that there is a non-compliance with the control, fails to achieve the objectives of the control, and in particular fails to observe the intended village character and human scale of the buildings and their relationship to the street which is demanded by the DCP. When I tender it I'll come to the statement of issues and see that is picked up but that is the issue in the case.
10 Mr Clay then stated that issue 2 was no longer an issue. Effectively the only issues remaining were issue 1 and matters raised by objectors, which included the height of the building. This appears from the following exchange:
COMMISSIONER: So that really only leaves issue 1, the proposed development does not comply with cl 3.3, in particular the height plane measured from the western side of Trelawney Street.
WEBSTER: Plus the objectors.
COMMISSIONER: Plus?
WEBSTER: The objectors. There's a couple of objectors.
COMMISSIONER: Objectors?
WEBSTER: Objectors, yes.
COMMISSIONER: Having heard what you've just said, Mr Clay, the only issue that's remaining there apart from what the residents might have to say, the only issue of concern to council it seems is issue 1 which is about the height plane. It's not about the issue that you described a few minuted ago. Or is it?
CLAY: It is the same issue.
COMMISSIONER: That's the same issue, is it?
CLAY: What I articulated is encapsulating issue 1.
COMMISSIONER: It was further and better particulars for issue 1.
CLAY Yes.
WEBSTER: Well we don't agree with that.
COMMISSIONER: I'm sure you're pleased to hear that, Mr Webster.
WEBSTER: Yes.
COMMISSIONER: Well you did say, Mr Clay, that you talk about presentation to Trelawney Street.
CLAY: And whether there's too much building.
COMMISSIONER: Too much building, and then the objectives of that control.
CLAY: Yes.
11 After hearing Mr Clay's application for leave to rely upon the additional expert evidence of Ms Morrish and Mr Webster's objection, the commissioner said:
COMMISSIONER: Well, it strikes me - and you may well have some more to say about this but I'll tell you how I'm thinking so far - it strikes me that the Registrar in the manner of case management contemplated, having heard from yourselves or your instructing solicitors or whoever, that the scheme of this case would involve the provision of a visual assessment report by Dr Lamb and then it was contemplated that a report in reply might be provided.
Now, the Registrar set down a time frame for that but it's pretty well established now that compliance with case management directions in terms of a time frame should not be used as a means for rejecting evidence. So delays in dates might cause difficulties in terms of dealing with that and there are means of attending to that, whether it be in terms of an adjournment and costs or whatever, so the late filing and serving of reports is not something that I would factor into the equation.
So, prima facie I am of the view that both reports should come in. I guess I'm forming a fairly firm view on it as I speak but those reports should be accepted by the Court only to the extent that they relate to the issue and to the issue in terms of the expertise of the person giving the evidence. Now, you know clearly what that means, Mr Clay, that latter statement that I've made, but that's a matter for submissions.
CLAY: Sometimes it can go to admissibility but one can often deal with it in submissions. You should have Mr Ludvik's report in reply to that equation. I wouldn't have any objection to that being tendered.
COMMISSIONER: So rather than making the courageous decision I'll play the wimp and probably in the interests of fairness overall and if there are difficulties in terms of dealing with these reports in the time frame that we've got I can hear from you on that but having had a quick scan of the reports I can see certainly how the Morrish report extends the issue and this is perhaps a situation where the issue could have been better particularised but Morrish is in.
12 The report of Ms Morrish was then tendered and admitted. Also tendered and admitted were the reports of Dr Lamb and Mr Ludvik, the latter being in reply to the report of Ms Morrish.