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No 1/98 \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid7945632 {\fs24\insrsid7945632\charrsid3869220 \par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid7945632 {\b\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 IN THE MATTER of the Declaratory Judgments Act 1908 \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid7945632 {\fs24\insrsid7945632\charrsid3869220 \par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid7945632 {\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 BETWEEN}{\fs24\insrsid7945632\charrsid3869220 \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid7945632 {\fs24\insrsid7945632\charrsid3869220 \par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid7945632 {\b\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 CROWN BEACH EXECUTIVE}{\b\fs24\insrsid7945632\charrsid3869220 }{\b\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 VILLAS LIMITED \par }{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 Appellant}{\fs24\insrsid14049520 \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid4874827 {\fs24\insrsid5848121 \par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid7945632 {\fs24\insrsid5848121 AND}{\fs24\insrsid5848121\charrsid3869220 \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid7945632 {\fs24\insrsid7945632\charrsid3869220 \par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid7945632 {\b\fs24\insrsid4874827 THE LANDOWNERS of Vaitamanga \par }{\b\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 Section 88F2A A}{\b\fs24\insrsid9468032\charrsid3869220 o}{\b\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 rangi, Raratonga \par }{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 Respondent \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid7945632 {\fs24\insrsid7945632\charrsid3869220 \par }{\b\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 Coram}{\fs24\insrsid7945632\charrsid3869220 :}{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 }{\fs24\insrsid7945632\charrsid3869220 Casey J \par Hillyer J \par }{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 Dillon J \par }{\fs24\insrsid7945632\charrsid3869220 \par }{\b\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 Counsel}{\fs24\insrsid7945632\charrsid3869220 : }{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 Mr A M Manarangi for the Appellant \par (Mr E Nia represented himself and other Landowners) \par }{\fs24\insrsid7945632\charrsid3869220 \par }{\b\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 Date of Hearing}{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 :}{\fs24\insrsid7945632\charrsid3869220 }{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 16 July 1998 \par }{\b\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 Date of Judgment}{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 :}{\fs24\insrsid7945632\charrsid3869220 12 August 1998}{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 \par \par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid7945632 {\b\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 JUDGMENT OF THE COURT DELIVERED BY CASEY J \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid7945632 {\fs24\insrsid7945632\charrsid3869220 \par }{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 This appeal concerns the interpretation of a grant of right of way by the respondents to the appellant giving it access from a road, the question being what access it has to the seashore adjacent to, but not abutting, its land. On 10 July 1973 the respond ents granted a}{\fs24\insrsid3745646\charrsid3869220 }{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 lease to the appellant}{\fs24\insrsid7945632\charrsid3869220 '}{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 s predecessors of 1 acre of their land now describ ed as Sec 88F2A. The lease was assigned to the appellant in May 1997. The land is rectangular, lying close to the sea and its boundary at that Western end is the respondents}{\fs24\insrsid7945632\charrsid3869220 '}{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 land between it and the shore,}{\fs24\insrsid3745646\charrsid3869220 }{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 described as a "private reservation" on the plan annexed to the lease. From there it runs back}{\fs24\insrsid3745646\charrsid3869220 }{ \fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 to other land of the respondents lying between it and the road to the East, sub-divided into}{\fs24\insrsid3745646\charrsid3869220 }{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 another four sections. Along the Southern side of the subject land is a right-of-way in favour}{\fs24\insrsid3745646\charrsid3869220 }{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 of the appellant over a strip of land belonging to the respondents and giving access to the}{\fs24\insrsid3745646\charrsid3869220 }{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 road. On the plan it is shown as running as far as the private reservation, but there is no}{ \fs24\insrsid3745646\charrsid3869220 }{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 boundary line shown between it and that reservation. \par }{\fs24\insrsid3745646\charrsid3869220 \par }{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 The grant of right-of-way is in the following terms: \par }{\fs24\insrsid3745646\charrsid3869220 \par }\pard \ql \li284\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin284\itap0\pararsid4874827 {\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 "}{\fs24\ul\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 THE LESSORS DO HEREBY GRANT}{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 unto the lessee its servants agents workmen and visitors and all persons having business with the lessee a free right-of-way ............in and over that portion of }{\fs24\ul\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 VAITAMANGA SECTION }{ \fs24\ul\insrsid3745646\charrsid3869220 88F}{\fs24\ul\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 2}{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 containing firstly twelve feet wide and secondly twenty feet wide and extending from the main road to the said demised land and thereon to the shore as the said parcel of land and right-of-ways are more particularly delineated and described in the plan thereof and drawn hereon." \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid7945632 {\fs24\insrsid3745646\charrsid3869220 \par }{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 The appellant says that when the lease was being negotiated, the parties were aware that it intended to build a beach resort on the land and that access to the shore was essential. At the time legislation zoning the foreshore for public recreation and enj o yment was being implemented, with provision for reserves over the seaward part of sections fronting the shore, from the line of vegetation at the edge of the land. The appellant says that in anticipation of this development and the consequent loss of that part of the land to public recreation, the lessors agreed that its seaward boundary would be the line of vegetation rather than the mean high water mark. However, the seaward part was not zoned as expected and remained in the respondent}{ \fs24\insrsid7945632\charrsid3869220 '}{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid3869220 s ownership, constituting the private reservation shown on the plan. Mr Nia}{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid7945632 for the respondent told us that family members had wanted the reserve kept for their own private use. The land below it between mean high and low water marks is Crown land.}{\fs24\insrsid14049520 \par }{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid7945632 \par }{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid12548813 The High Court was asked to declare that the lease granted the appellant a right of way over the reserve from and along the common boundary between it and the demised land; or alternatively that it granted such a right of way over the reserve to the shore. McHugh J held that the g rant did not give the lessee access over the reserve at any point, but only through it to the shore beyond the reserve by a 12-feet wide strip as an extension of the right of way shown on the plan. In this Court the appellant abandoned its contention in t h e High Court that the word "shore" used in the lease should be construed as a reference to the reserve, and accepted that it means the area between mean high and low water marks belonging to the Crown. For their part the respondents do not challenge the p rovision for access made by the Judge and we gained the impression that Mr Nia would like to reach an accommodation with the appellant for more liberal use of the family reserve, but was constrained by the objections of other members. \par \par The Court}{\fs24\insrsid7945632\charrsid12548813 '}{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid12548813 s task is t o ascertain the terms of the agreement from the language used in the lease and from the accompanying plan, in the light of the surrounding circumstances known to the parties at the time. It is common ground at least that the land was wanted for a beach re sort, and that access to the beach would be essential for that purpose. Mr Manarangi referred us to }{\i\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid11951032 Mellor v Walmsley}{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid12548813 [1905] 2 Ch 164, but it is not really in point, being concerned with the position of a boundary to a number of plots of residential land de scribed as "the seashore", whereas the present case involves the ascertainment of rights of way to the shore. Mr Manarangi relied on comments of Stirling J, one of the majority, to the effect that in order to satisfy the expectations of the landowners in }{\i\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid11951032 Mellor v Walmsley}{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid12548813 to have access to the sea, the grantor could not use the intervening strip of land which remained vested in him for any purpose which would prevent them having sea access over that strip. A similar approach in this case would justify the High Court}{ \fs24\insrsid7945632\charrsid12548813 '}{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid12548813 s recognition of the extended right-of-way across the reserve as providing adequate access to the sea. In }{\i\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid11951032 Mellor v Walmsley }{ \fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid12548813 the plots lay right along the intervening strip so that access over its whole length was necessary for each to enjoy the g rant. In the present case there is sufficient access to the sea from the leased land along the 12-feet wide strip. It must be borne in mind that only access to the shore is in issue, not the ability to use the reserve for recreational purposes. If that ha d been granted, there would be a strong case for implying a right to access across the length of the land}{\fs24\insrsid7945632\charrsid12548813 '}{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid12548813 s Western boundary.}{\fs24\insrsid14049520 \par }{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid7945632 \par We are satisfied that the terms of the lease are not to be construed as containing such a grant. Although there is some confusion in the way the dimensions of the right-of-way are expressed in the lease, it is clear from the plan that its width from the road to the demised}{\fs24\insrsid14049520 }{\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid7945632 land is 20 feet, and thereafter 12 feet. The expression "and thereon to the shore" in the passage quoted above from the lease is plainly a reference to the 12-foot section of the right}{\fs24\insrsid7945632\charrsid7945632 -}{ \fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid7945632 of-way after it reaches the demised land. Accordingly we see no reason to disagree with the conclusion reached by the High Court and the appeal is dismissed. Mr Nia is entitled to his reasonable travel and accommodation and other expenses to be fixed by the Registrar if the parties cannot agree. \par }{\fs24\insrsid14049520 \par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid14049520 {\b\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid14049520 By the Court \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid7945632 {\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid7945632 \par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid14049520 {\b\fs24\insrsid14049520\charrsid14049520 (Rt Hon Sir Maurice Casey) \par }}