Gold Coast’s Empire Constructions has no builder or office but QBCC still won’t cancel its licence

IT doesn’t have an office, its sole director is a cosmetic injecting nurse and now this maligned construction doesn’t even have a qualified builder. Here’s why the Queensland building regulator will not strip the company of its licence.

Amber Patrice Callender, 37, is sole director of Empire Constructions. Photo: Facebook

IT doesn’t have an office, its sole director is a cosmetic injecting nurse and now Empire Constructions doesn’t even have a qualified builder on the books — yet the Queensland building regulator will not strip the company of its licence.

The situation involving the Gold Coast builder descended into farce when the company’s nominee builder Robert Woodbridge left last Tuesday.

Paul Travis Callender and Amber Patrice Callender. Photo: Facebook

The Ormeau-based builder, which put its vacant office up for lease last month, is being investigated for allegations of illegal phoenix activities and has the most onerous licence conditions in the State.

Empire Constructions is directed by Amber Callender, 37, wife of Paul Callender, 35, whose company Queensland One Homes collapsed in July with debts of $6 million.

Amber Callender and Paul Callender enjoyed an Australia Day break at their holiday home on the Sunshine Coast hinterland. Photo: Supplied

The QBCC will have to wait more than three weeks to take any action on Empire’s lack of a qualified builder.

“The QBCC immediately notified the company that the QBCC Act requires them to provide the QBCC with proof that it has appointed a licensed nominee within 28 days,” the regulator said in a statement.

“As per Section 48(e) of the QBCC Act, if a company fails to appoint an appropriately licensed nominee within 28 days, the QBCC will initiate suspension proceedings against the company licence.”

As a bankrupt, Mr Callender is excluded from holding a QBCC licence and is expressly prohibited from being a person of influence in Empire Constructions.

However, it hasn’t stopped him from attending Empire building sites and launching a new business, also registered in his wife’s name, brazenly called Phoenix Rural Fencing and Landscaping. That company holds no class of licence.

Queensland One Homes director Paul Callender on site at an Empire Constructions build. Photo: Supplied

The Queensland Building and Construction Commission suspended Empire’s licence in October, but the company made a successful appeal in the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal to have it lifted.

The Tribunal’s finding has been deemed confidential and appears to have hamstrung the QBCC, which is unable to explain why the licence remains active.

“Pursuant to orders issued by a Tribunal, the QBCC is unable to provide any

comment on certain additional compliance measures which may already be in place,” the regulator said in a statement.

The operators of Queensland One Homes and Empire Constructions, whose companies are under investigation for alleged phoenix activities, are running a new business named "Phoenix Rural Fencing and Landscaping". Photo: Supplied

On Friday the commission put unprecedented conditions on Empire, stating the company must not novate any existing building contracts without first providing 28 days notice to the regulator, and that it must disclose any complaint related to current or completed building contracts, including any complaint about the completion of building work; and any complaint about defective building work within 48 hours of the company receiving notification of such complaint.