QBCC suspends licence of Descon Group Australia for failure to comply with an audit

Queensland’s building regulator has suspended the licence of a national development company as it battles wind-up action and its director faces mounting support to bankrupt him.

Queensland’s building regulator has suspended the $240m licence of national development company Descon Group Australia as it battles wind-up action and its banned director faces mounting support to bankrupt him.

The Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) moved on Thursday night to suspend Descon for “failure to comply with an audit”.

Descon is currently building the stalled Waverley Residences highrise in Southport, which is more than a year over schedule.

15 Waverley St development in Southport. Picture Glenn Hampson

It came three weeks after the company’s director Danny Isaac, a former bankrupt who is also known as Sami Adib, was banned from the industry for three years.

The licence suspension has also led the Queensland Government’s Department of Public Works to take action on Descon’s prequalification registration, which allowed it to take on government contracts worth more than $1m.

Responding to questions to Mr Isaaac, lawyer Clint Kanther said Descon’s licence suspension was “temporary”.

“Such action has only been taken as our client is finalising their accounts,” he said.

“The accounts will be finalised shortly and the suspension lifted.”

A statement from the QBCC said no work could be performed or contracted to be performed once a licence was suspended.

“Licence suspension action usually follows a 21-day show-cause period in which a company is able to provide the QBCC with information to show that it should not be suspended,” it said in a statement.

“A company has 28 days from the date of suspension to challenge the QBCC’s decision or face the potential cancellation of its licence.”

ASIC has told the liquidator of one of his companies that they had been “unable to locate and contact” Mr Isaac, understood to have been staying with family in Dubai since late last year.

Descon Group Australia is facing wind-up action by a group of creditors, due to return to court on March 20.

Descon Qld is also facing wind-up action, brought in December by demolition group Demex, which has 12 supporting creditors, including the tax office.

It’s due back in court on March 14.

Descon Group Australia director Danny Isaac.

Mr Isaac was banned from holding a Queensland builder licence, or from running a licensed company, until December 8, 2026.

Bankruptcy proceedings against Mr Isaac are also set to return to court next month while four Descon and Adcon companies are in liquidation.

Rival developer and former Descon employee Anthony Quinn filed a creditor’s petition in December seeking to bankrupt Mr Isaac over a $457k debt.

Three companies – Metroll, Get Directed Traffic Control & Labour Hire and Rapid Metal Developments – have since joined the action, which is due back in court on March 6.

Mr Kanther said his client would be defending the bankruptcy proceedings.