Formwork group Heinrich Constructions under cloud after companies liquidate

One of Queensland’s largest construction groups is under a cloud after its horse-racing founder was banned from the industry amid multiple company liquidations.

One of Queensland’s largest construction groups is under a cloud after its founder was banned from the industry amid multiple company liquidations.

Five companies linked to Heinrich Constructions have gone into liquidation in the past 18 months, owing at least $30m of dollars to unsecured creditors – mostly state and federal taxes.

Founder and horseracing identity Gerhard “Hoss” Heinrich has been banned from building in Queensland until August 2025 since one of his companies, Heinrich Formwork, was wound up by the tax office.

According to the latest liquidator’s report, unsecured Heinrich Formwork creditors are owed almost $22m.

Heinrich Constructions.

Heinrich Group companies have worked on some of the state’s biggest projects including the $1.4b Jewel development, Cross River Rail and Queen’s Wharf in Brisbane.

This week, the company’s website and social media channels had been taken down, and its distinctive bright pink shirts were notably absent from major building sites along the Coast.

At Homecorp development Eve Residences, where Heinrich was key formwork contractor for Hutchinson Builders, workers said it had “liquidated”.

“Hutchies has taken it over,” one subcontractor at the Labrador site said.

“They did some sort of deal, I think they’ve been able to keep most of the same guys,” said another.

A spokesman for Hutchinson said “Heinrich continues to complete the formwork packages on our sites” but did not respond to further questions on what stake, if any, the builder had taken in Heinrich’s assets or staff.

The site of Homecorp's Eve Residences, under construction by Hutchinson at Labrador on the Gold Coast. Photo: Kathleen Skene

As well as his companies’ troubles, Mr Heinrich is being sued personally by the tax office, which claimed it was owed $9.84m in unpaid tax by Heinrich Formwork.

It said Mr Heinrich, as the company’s sole director, was liable to pay the outstanding amount.

Mr Heinrich’s legal team has lodged a notice of intention to defend the case, which is before the Brisbane Supreme Court and remained open this week.

Another company directed by Mr Heinrich, Heinrich Formwork Gold Coast, also went into liquidation last October after a court-ordered tax-office wind-up.

Hoss Heinrich bidding on racehorses. Photo: Richard Gosling

That company – described by liquidator Derrick Vickers of PwC as a “labour hire” entity whose only client was Heinrich Constructions – owes $4.2m to unsecured creditors and another $228,000 in superannuation.

Mr Vickers’ report said Heinrich Formwork Gold Coast had likely been trading insolvent since 2021.

Despite the debts, the liquidator’s report said employees had been transferred to Heinrich Constructions, which is directed by Mr Heinrich’s daughter Tayla Heinrich, 27, and the business had continued to trade.

The Gold Coast Bulletin has been unable to contact Mr or Ms Heinrich.

Tayla Heinrich and Hoss Heinrich.

Heinrich Constructions, which had been directed by Mr Heinrich until his daughter took it on in August 2022, is licensed in Queensland for maximum revenue of $120m.

After the collapse of Heinrich Formwork, Ms Heinrich also became director of yet another company, Heinrich Constructions Queensland, which went into liquidation in September this year.

A form signed by Ms Heinrich said the company owed $2.25m tax, $1.07m to the Office of State Revenue, and $547,388 to WorkCover Queensland.

There was also a $639,881 debt to Heinrich Constructions and $245,305 to building supplier Absolute Solutions Group.

Ms Heinrich’s report said the company had about $2000 cash, no assets and was a “labour only company”.

Hoss Heinrich, Tayla Heinrich and Gillian Heinrich.

Two more companies, Heiko Constructions and Highform Solutions were ordered into liquidation by the Federal Court last year, following wind-up action by the tax office.

The companies are directed by Helga Bennett, the sister of Mr Heinrich, and were at the centre of a Supreme Court case last year.

Ms Bennett was director of labour hire firms Heiko and Highform, and claimed in court documents that her brother deliberately created and controlled the companies so Heinrich Constructions could avoid paying almost $15m in tax, leaving her on the hook for the debts.

Mr Heinrich, a former chairman of the Gold Coast Turf Club, denied the allegations and the matter was dismissed in May last year.