Hampton Home Builders’ licence suspended by QBCC

The director of a Gympie building company with more than $17 million of housing on its books has dismissed a freeze on its licence as nothing more than ‘red tape’.

Hampton Home Builders director Karen Robinson says a freeze on the company’s construction licence by the QBCC was caused by “red tape” incurred while the company was changing assets, and it will be reinstated shortly.

Hampton Home Builders director Karen Robinson on Monday dismissed the most recent suspension of Hampton Home Builders’ licence by the state watchdog as little more than “red tape” incurred by changing assets within the company.

The company’s construction licence was put on ice by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission a week ago - on Monday, August 14 - citing a failure to satisfy financial requirements.

On Monday, Ms Robinson said the suspension was the result of “literally red tape” incurred while changing the assets over and she expected the licence to be “reinstated in a couple of days”.

The suspension, which stirred comment on social media, was something Ms Robinson said people “unfortunately … like to exploit” about a business run by a “controversial” figure like herself.

It is the third time the QBCC has suspended the company’s licence since it launched in 2018, once in 2020 for failing to comply with an audit, and in 2021 over financial requirements.

Each of these were resolved within a week.

A QBCC spokeswoman said it could not comment on the matter due to confidentiality requirements.

She said any licence holder who was suspended was allowed 21 days to challenge the decision.

QBCC records show Hampton Home Builders has built more than $16 million in housing since it was launched in late 2018, although only $2.75 million was built across the 2021-22 and 2022-23 financial years.

“If no written representations are lodged within 21 days, the QBCC will then cancel the licence (if it was previously suspended) or suspend the licence if that is the action being proposed by the QBCC,” she said.

Cancellations or suspensions can also be reviewed within 28 days of the decision.

The state’s Minimum Financial Requirements System was introduced in an effort to better safeguard companies and homeowners from builders’ financial collapses.

QBCC licensees must meet these requirements at all times.

Fellow director John David said the 2021 freeze was triggered by an application from the company to expand its turnover limit.

The QBCC’s online record shows Hampton Home Builders had constructed 84 homes worth more than $16.7 million.

Karen Robinson launched Hampton Home Builders in late 2018, shortly after the controversial collapse of Stirling Homes which was run by her ex-husband Peter Bazzan.

Since the start of the 2021-22 financial year, its residential construction work has only consisted of 10 homes worth $2.7 million.

Only two of these were built in the 2022-23 financial year.

There are no disciplinary actions or exclusions listed on Hampton Home Builder’s QBCC record.

It incurred a $1134 penalty in January 2020, and was hit with four demerit points in January 2021 for breaching rules around excess deposits.

Companies must accumulate 30 demerit points across a three-year period before any bans can be enforced.

Ms Robinson started the company following the collapse of Stirling Homes in 2018.

ASIC records claimed Stirling Homes owed more than $6 million to 130 creditors at the time of its liquidation.

The company was directed by Ms Robinson’s ex-husband Peter Bazzan, with Ms Robinson paying $75,000 for her release from the company.

ASIC documents lodged by liquidators raised allegations of embezzlement and insolvent trading as key reasons behind Stirling Homes’ collapse.

Ms Robinson refuted those as “complete and utter rubbish” at the time.

No charges were ever laid following the collapse of Stirling Homes, nor is there any suggestion of any wrongdoing by Ms Robinson.