Plaza Hotel owner James Chang tells Rockhampton court he doesn’t trust lawyers and QFES officers trespassed

A Rockhampton business owner has told a court he doesn’t trust lawyers, claiming they cost him a lawsuit when council sued him for more than $200,000 in unpaid rates. He has since tried to claim his business is ‘a victim of crime’. Find out why here.

A Rockhampton business owner has told a court he doesn’t trust lawyers, claiming they cost him a lawsuit when council sued him for more than $200,000 in unpaid rates.

He has also tried to claim Queensland Fire and Emergency Services ‘trespassed’ while carrying out routine inspections at his property.

James Hsu-Hui Chang appeared in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on August 26 where a hearing was scheduled for November 15 and 16 in relation to 16 charges laid by Queensland Fire and Emergency Services for breaching the Fire and Emergency Services Act 1990.

The charges allege Chang Holdings and Mr Hsu-Hui Chang, an executive officer of Chang Holdings, failed to take all reasonable steps to ensure Chang Holdings did not breach the Act by failing to maintain at all times a prescribed fire installation in the building to a standard of safety and reliability in the event of fire, namely fire doors, penetrations through fire resistant construction, fire extinguishers, fire hose reels, exit lighting and exit signage.

An open fire exit door at the Rockhampton Plaza Hotel.

Under the Act, authorised fire officers are given the power to enter any premises to investigate where or not fire safety measures and fire prevention measures, including the implementation of a fire safety management plan, have been undertaken or are being maintained.

This was reiterated by the QFES prosecutor in court on August 26 when Mr Chang accused the fire service’s employees of trespassing on his property.

The rear of the Rockhampton Plaza Hotel building from the back laneway.

Mr Chang told the court he was given very short notice the first time these charges were before the court and that led to him not having time to gather “papers to prove our company is simple a victim of crime”.

Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale said these offences were under the QFES legislation which “says these are things you must do, and you don’t do them. That’s the offence”.

Fire exit stairs at the Rockhampton Plaza Hotel.

Mr Chang said the problem was the hotel had been closed for more than a year.

“It’s not based on things like that,” Ms Beckinsale said.

She asked Mr Chang if he was getting legal advice, adding that he had previously told the court he had plenty of money to pay a lawyer.

“No, because I’ve been betrayed by the legal person,” Mr Chang said.

“I don’t trust lawyers anymore because last time we lose a case … council suing us.”

Rockhampton Regional Council took Chang Holdings to court in 2021, seeking more than $200,00 in unpaid rates, unpaid water bills and legal fees.

The Rockhampton Plaza Hotel closed around 2015.

Mr Chang fought the claims and applied to the Queen to declare the property as a micronation but ultimately lost and was ordered to pay council the outstanding rates plus legal and interest costs.

One lawyer who represented him during the unpaid rates case told the court there may be a counterclaim lodged in the Supreme Court seeking to declare the premises abandoned and, as a consequence, council had erred in identifying and classifying it as commercial/industrial land.

Rockhampton Plaza Hotel's James Chang.

At the same mention of the unpaid rates matter, Mr Chang also indicated to the court he may hire another lawyer with more experience to represent Chang Holdings in the matter with council.

Neither eventuated.

Mr Chang asked if he could use material he used in the last court case.

Ms Beckinsale said she didn’t know what material was used in the last case, nor what that case was about, and therefore did not know if it was relevant to this case.

Ms Beckinsale advised Mr Chang to get legal advice.

“You need to get legal advice, you need to do it urgently,” she said.

“It might save you a lot of pain.

“You might be putting yourself at risk of costs … there are lots of reasons why it would be worth it to you.”

Ms Beckinsale said there were many lawyers in Rockhampton that he could trust and that he should “get someone that is in a position to give you good legal advice”.

Mr Chang claimed he already knew his position.

Ms Beckinsale commented his ‘position’ was made up without legal training or being able to read the legislation.