Queensland

The federal government has hit back at a class action over an outbreak of white spot disease in South-East Queensland that decimated the commercial prawn industry, pointing the finger at several importers and saying farmers failed to mitigate their own losses.

The Full Federal Court has found that Telstra can be sued for a former employee’s alleged sexual harassment of his neighbours, finding  harassment that is part of a private dispute may also occur in the course of providing services.

Clive Palmer has lost his bid to overturn a council decision to reject his plan for a residential development at a Gold Coast flood plain, with a judge noting that would-be residents would be subject to the “adverse odours” of a nearby sewerage treatment plant.

A judge has reduced the jail sentence imposed on a Brisbane man who falsely represented he was a lawyer on the Airtasker app, but refused his bid to get away with a fine, saying a prison term “was the only appropriate sentencing option” in the case.

The state of Queensland is facing two class actions for allegedly failing to place First Nations children who were removed from their families with other community members and to ensure they maintained a connection to their family, community and culture.

Two Catholic school teachers are entitled to pay rises included in new enterprise agreements, despite resigning before they took effect, an appeals court has found.

A judge has thrown out a lawsuit over the $55 million sale of Queensland shopping centre brought by an arm of Elanor Investors Group, clearing the vendor and its agent of allegedly misleading or deceptive conduct.

An appeals court has found that barrister’s fees are not excluded as a recoverable outlay under worker’s compensation regulations.

A judge has expressed his preliminary view that cases brought in Queensland cannot be thrown out where the costs of the claims are disproportionate to their importance, allowing a defamation case by entrepreneur Robert McVicker against the ABC to proceed. 

Aiming to become the “undisputed market leader” in investment funds, Hall & Wilcox has brought on the team at boutique law firm McMahon Clarke.