Company that ran Adelaide Ice Arena owes more than $3.5m, including unpaid super

The company that ran the Ice Arena – and is a related entity of the current operator – owes employees large amounts of superannuation.

The company that operated the Ice Arena until late February – and is related to the company currently managing the business – owes more than $3.5m to creditors including more than $130,000 in unpaid superannuation, documents reveal.

Meanwhile Agile Group, which now runs the centre, late last year committed to “invest” $1m a year for this financial year and the next three years to charity Ice Factor, with questions remaining unanswered about how such a donation could be made, when a subsidiary company could not pay its bills.

Reports lodged with the corporate regulator in recent days shows that ACN 643 112 485 – which previously traded as Ice Arena Adelaide Pty Ltd – owes employees unpaid superannuation in the amount of $134,890.

The Ice Arena on James Congdon Drive at Thebarton. Picture: Emma Brasier.

The sole secured creditor is a Sydney-based finance company, which is owed $1.68m, while related entities in the Agile Group, listed as unsecured creditors, are owed $891,022.

The Australian Taxation Office is owed $433,051, the documents show, while there are also a number of small business creditors.

The Advertiser has been contacted by former employees at the Ice Arena, who have complained that their superannuation was not paid.

The liquidators reports do not indicate how many employees were not paid superannuation, however considering the minimum superannuation payment is 10 per cent, this indicates a total payroll of more than $1.3m.

The Advertiser sent questions to Agile Group managing director Michael Boyle asking how many staff were not paid their superannuation, and whether staff currently employed by Agile Group to run the centre were being paid their entitlements.

Mr Boyle was also asked how Agile Group could commit to a $4m sponsorship of Ice Factor given Ice Arena Pty Ltd – a subsidiary of Agile Holdings (Aust), which he is the sole director of – could not afford to pay its debts.

“All staff who work at the Ice Arena receive all their entitlements,’’ Mr Boyle said in a statement to The Advertiser.

“Sponsorship of worthy community initiatives is core to our ethos and our business. Ice Factor has since 2005 encouraged at-risk teenagers who are disengaged or disadvantaged to participate in competitive ice hockey.

“Information about the previous operator can only be provided by the external administrator.’’

Ice Arena Adelaide Pty Ltd was placed in liquidation on February 28.

Three days prior to that, a resolution was passed and documents lodged to change the name from Ice Arena Adelaide Pty Ltd to its Australian Company Number (ACN).

Earlier that month, on the 15th, a document was lodged that had the effect of removing Mr Boyle as a director, and Michaela Walker as company secretary, and installing Michael Brown of Coorparoo, Queensland, as the sole director.

While the document was lodged on February 15, the changes in directorship were dated September 5, 2021.