QBCC suspends licence of Gold Coast builder Empire Constructions amid probe on related companies
UPDATE: THE director of contentious Gold Coast-based builder Empire Constructions says she and her bankrupt husband, who was at the helm when Q1 Homes collapsed, are ‘leaving the building industry’ after the QBCC took action against the company.
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THE director of Gold Coast-based Empire Constructions says the company is “leaving the building industry” after Queensland’s building regulator suspended its licence.
Empire is the subject of long-running investigation by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission, who has also referred claims of phoenix activities to corporate regulator ASIC.
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Last week, the company lost its nominee, leaving it without any qualified builder on the books, and the QBCC imposed more conditions on its licence.
Last night, the regulator reinstated an earlier suspension from September, which the pair had successfully appealed in the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
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The QBCC has been unable to explain why QCAT granted a stay on the suspension, because the tribunal also granted a non-publication order on the case.
Empire is directed by Amber Callender, 37, whose bankrupt husband Paul Callender, 35, is sole director of Queensland One Homes, which collapsed in July with debts of more than $6 million.
This morning, Ms Callender said Empire had attempted to cancel the licence voluntarily, and accused the QBCC of calling it a suspension so the regulator could “gain publicity”.
“Empire constructions voluntarily cancelled their QBCC license on Friday May 11 which was sent by our lawyers and by registered mail,” she said in an email.
“My lawyers confirmed that the QBCC received the tracked mail at 9.46am Monday May 14.
“ Despite this the QBCC are attempting to gain publicity by claiming they in fact “suspended” the license.
“This is now irrelevant considering Empire no longer wishes to hold a building licence with the QBCC.
“Empire is leaving the building industry.”
Pressed on whether she and her husband planned to leave the industry, or just Empire was leaving, Ms Callender replied “we are leaving the industry”.
The Bulletin has contacted the QBCC for a response.
Subcontractors and clients of both companies were fuming last week when it was revealed the couple had launched a new business, shockingly named Phoenix Rural Fencing and Landscaping.
Ms Callender’s directorship of the Callingle Pty Ltd, the company behind the unlicensed Phoenix fencing business, does not show up in regular name searches because her surname is spelled “Callendar” on the documents lodged with corporate regulator ASIC.
Since November, Empire’s licence has been conditional on Mr Callender being excluded from influencing its operations.
However the Bulletin has obtained photos of him on an Empire Constructions site, arriving in a Phoenix Rural Fencing branded ute that he conceded was registered to Empire Constructions.
“I was putting up a fence. I was contracted to Empire,” he told the Bulletin, when approached for comment.
Empire Constructions has vacated its Ormeau office and Ms Callender has gone back to her former career performing cosmetic injections.
Laws introduced late last year provide penalties that can apply to people excluded from QBCC licences, including the ability for courts to jail repeat offenders who carry out building work without an appropriate QBCC licence.
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