Riviera is seeking to fill 65 full time and school based apprenticeship positions

Australia’s largest motor yacht builders is on the lookout for `Generation Next’ with dozens of jobs at its Gold Coast base up for grabs.

Dozens of full time and school-based apprenticeships are on offer on the Gold Coast and they come with a rather luxurious work perk – spending time out on some of the world’s most beautiful boats.

Australia’s largest motor yacht builder, Riviera, is on the lookout for ‘Generation Next’

at its Coomera facility and is hosting a series of information nights throughout July

for anyone interested in taking up a marine based trade.

More than 160 people have already committed to the July 11 session with spaces filling

fast for July 19 and 27.

Altogether, the boat builder is looking to fill 65 positions for 2024.

“You never know, one of the boats that you help build might one day be owned by a

celebrity or your favourite sportsperson,” Riviera owner Rodney Longhurst said.

“It really is a rewarding job seeing these beautiful motor yachts come to life and then

being able to stand back and admire them.”

A new report by Gold Coast Council has found the southeast Queensland marine

industry supports 4627 jobs with Riviera responsible for 910 of those, including

subcontractors.

The marine industry also generates $1.07bn for the local economy and has seen

5 per cent year on year growth since 2016.

17-year-old apprentice diesel mechanic Laura Hillman working on a Riviera boat. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Diqualified

The Australian financial watchdog has disqualified a Queensland man from managing corporations for five years due to his involvement in the failure of five companies which owed more than $20m to creditors and engaged in illegal phoenix activity.

Since February 2012, Gene Robert Farrelly, 56, was the director of five companies based in Gympie that entered liquidation – United Project Partners (UPP), Secure Holdings Qld (SHQ), Unidev Qld, United Property Sales and One Thought Pty Ltd.

UPP, SHQ, Unidev and One Thought were involved in the property and construction industry in southeast Queensland while United Property operated in the rental, hiring and real estate services industry also in southeast Queensland.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission found that Farrelly allowed a scheme operated by UPP and SHQ to deceive Westpac into making loans to investors by using misleading financial transactions that falsely demonstrated their financial suitability.

It found that he misused funds belonging to UPP by making payments to fictitious employees, and family members, which resulted in substantial loans being made to himself, and also used UPP funds for personal expenses.

ASIC also found that Farrelly engaged in illegal phoenix activity when he transferred the business of UPP to related entity – Summit QLD Pty Ltd – for no consideration. He authorised UPP to pay the staff wages of Summit, and authorised UPP to financially support Summit when it was in financial difficulty.

At the time of ASIC’s decision, Farrelly’s companies owed a combined total of $20,105,830 to unsecured creditors including about $58,741 to the Australian Taxation Office. Farrelly has the right to seek a review of ASIC’s decision by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. He could not be reached for comment.

Gene Farrelly, director of United Project Partners Pty Ltd.

Challenge success

Sporting Wheelies’ chief executive Amanda Mather has revealed that more than 40 CEOs raised just over $155,000 in this year’s CEO Wheelie Challenge held on June 16.

The money will go straight towards building Sporting Wheelies’ new purpose-built, first of its kind para clubhouse in Milton which will become a major training facility in the lead up to the Brisbane 2032 Paralympics.

“The overwhelming success of the CEO Wheelie Challenge, is a testament to the power of community and collective action,” Ms Mather said.

COHA Group is providing pro bono support for Sporting Wheelies’ new clubhouse and the building company’s managing director Paul Coory was a participant in the challenge.

Mikaela Williams and COHA Group CEO Paul Cooley at the worksite of the new Sporting Wheelies clubhouse at Milton. Photo: Glenn Hunt