Melbourne families thousands out of pocket after Actura Australia, CASE space camp enters liquidation
A camp tour company that boasted “once in a lifetime” expensive student trips to NASA has entered liquidation, devastating parents and schoolkids with “no financial resources to provide customer refunds”.
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Dozens of Melbourne families have been affected by the sudden collapse of another space camp tour company, leaving parents up to $13,000 out of pocket.
Students from Korowa Anglican Girls’ School have been impacted by the collapse of space camp provider Actura Australia going into liquidation on June 14.
The 16 students who paid around $13,000 each were due to leave on June 29, with one mother saying her daughter and other students and teachers are “devastated”.
“They already had detailed itineraries, flight numbers and accommodation information,” she said.
The school’s principal Frances Booth said she was “very upset to hear of the liquidation of Actura late on Friday evening”.
“Actura’s space program was an exciting educational opportunity for our students and they were eagerly anticipating their upcoming trip,” she said.
“We are working with our insurers and other relevant parties to explore all possible avenues of support for our families affected by this.”
At least two other schools - Firbank Grammar School in Brighton and Mentone Girls’ Secondary College - have been impacted, with one group of students due to leave in two weeks’ time on the CASE space camp.
Many other Victorian students who chose to participate in the camp independently have also been impacted by the company collapse. Westburn Advisory have been appointed as administrators and the company has advised it does not have money for parent refunds.
Shocked parents were told on Friday, with one Firbank father telling the Herald Sun that he had paid $10,000 for his daughter to go on the trip to the United States in July.
“We are pretty shocked by this and had no idea it could happen,” he said. “We have looked up the flights and they have not even been booked even though we paid six months ago.”
The parents are meeting school leaders on Monday night to look at their options. “We are very angry and want to see what the school will do,” he said.
Mentone Girls’ Secondary College students from throughout the senior school were due to leave on December 7 for the two-week trip.
Students on such trips go to the NASA Johnson Space Centre in Houston, the Ad Astra Rocket Company, Silicon Valley, among other destinations.
They also have dinner with astronauts.
Today’s challenge at #CASEspaceschool@ActuraAustraliapic.twitter.com/nIHbM3YDKn
— Melanie Jane (@MelanieSSpencer) July 11, 2018
Students from B34 combined material science and mechanical engineering by building their own space suit glove 🧤 They tested it on a range of issues astronauts face such as changed in temperature, radiation and more 👩â€ðŸš€#Actura#CASEspaceschool#STEAMpic.twitter.com/Tn1WMBVr6L
— Actura (@ActuraAustralia) December 19, 2019
A number of families in New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania have also been left out of pocket. More than 70 students from one NSW school have lost $5m in total.
One parent from Sydney told the Herald Sun the collapse “has left countless hardworking parents devastated, as all the money paid for this tour has vanished, and on top of that, Actura has declared that there will be no refunds or any form of financial compensation. The impact of this announcement has been a sudden shock, leaving us parents in utter dismay,” he said.
Actura’s closure has also affected several schools in New Zealand.
Chief executive Charles Chung apologised to those impacted in an email over the weekend.
“It is regret and sadness that I must advise that Actura Australia Pty Ltd has with immediate effect gone into liquidation,” he said in a letter sighted by the Herald Sun.
“As a result, all scheduled 2024 and 2025 international study program expeditions are cancelled. This includes CASE Space School, CASE Ocean School and CASE Film & Arts School expeditions.
“Actura has exhausted all possible avenues for recovery of its negative cashflow position. Unfortunately, the financial position is unrecoverable.
It also says the company has “no financial resources to provide customer refunds”.
Parents are advised to contact their credit card companies to see if they can recoup some of the funds.
The closure of the school trip organiser comes three months after the Herald Sun revealed Edu School Tours had gone into liquidation, leaving at least 60 private school students $10,000 out of pocket each.
Students from Star of the Sea College and Camberwell High were left shattered upon hearing the news, with one student from the former school sharing 35 pupils were due to depart within 17 days of the company going under.
Melbourne woman Lucy Robertson linked with missing space camp millions
Some parents have reported to social media that they are yet to receive a refund on money they contributed towards the camp, which was organised by Edu Schools Tours. -
One tour provider, who rescued a number of families impacted by the collapse of Edu School Tours, said it appeared the company had underquoted the cost of the trips.
“Many of them were given quotes in July last year and paid in full and now the company cannot provide the trips for that price.”
The schools have been contacted for comment.
A Department of Education spokeswoman said: “We are identifying and working with impacted schools to determine whether fees paid in advance can be recouped.”
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