Melton construction company Designer Projects plunges into liquidation

A Melbourne-based home building company has collapsed just 18 months after it was slapped with $40,000 in fines for underpaying a worker.

A Melbourne-based home building company has collapsed just 18 months after it was slapped with $40,000 in fines for underpaying a worker. Picture: Instagram

A Melbourne-based home building company has collapsed just 18 months after it was forced to pay more than $40,000 in fines for underpaying an employee.

Designer Projects Victoria Pty Ltd, trading as Designer Projects, was put into liquidation on Saturday.

Designer Projects was put into liquidation on Saturday. Picture: Instagram

It comes after the Federal Circuit and Family Court fined the Melton company $39,960 for failing to calculate and back-pay entitlements and provide pay slips to a worker in November 2022.

Director Visna Thanthrige was also fined $3,996 – totalling $43,956 in penalties.

A Fair Work inspector first issued a compliance notice to Designer Projects in November 2021 after suspecting the worker was not paid 220 hours in accrued but untaken annual leave entitlements when his employment ended.

Director Visna Thanthrige was also fined $3,996. Picture: Instagram

The affected worker was employed as a full-time construction site supervisor between July 2019 and September 2021.

The construction company, first registered in 2018, completed projects across Victoria, including Ballarat, Wantirna, Ardeer, Mooroolbark, Pakenham and Mill Park.

BPS Reconstruction and Recovery has been appointed as liquidator.

Spokesperson Paul Kennedy said the company has a debt with the Australian Taxation Office of $250,000 to $300,000.

“We are not aware of any other creditors at this stage and we are not aware of any ongoing jobs that the company had as at our appointment,” Mr Kennedy said.