Scale Facilitation, founder David Collard and its trail of debts: Geelong Football Club and Manufacturing Council among those owed money

One former employee said the amount of money owed to Geelong organisations and residents is the “elephant in the room” around town, while the controversial businessman’s alma mater confirmed he paid money into its bursary fund last year.

Geelong identity Roxie Bennett, a former Scale Facilitation employee, with company founder David Collard at one of many ritzy events the businessman attended.

The financial hit to Geelong organisations from David Collard and his Scale Facilitation continues to become clearer, as the controversial businessman’s alma mater confirmed he paid money into its bursary fund last year.

The Geelong Football Club took an $80,000 hit after a Cats corporate membership was never paid, while Geelong Manufacturing Council boss Jennifer Conley said the member-based organisation was owed $20,000.

Not-for-profit foundation Give Where You Live was left to foot a $15,000 bill after a sponsorship agreement went sour.

Newtown-based, family-owned firm Scotts Chartered Accountants is owed hundreds of thousands of dollars for work it did for Scale and its subsidiaries, sources said.

“Geelong is really the epicentre of all this,” one former employee said.

“Even though there’s stuff happening in the US, in the UK, it really comes back to Geelong.

“He (Collard) has just caused so much hurt and so much stress on people … it’s the elephant in the room (in Geelong).”

Richard Marles, Corinna Eccles, Lyn George and Jennifer Conley at the Geelong Manufacturing Council’s 25th anniversary at Avalon Airport in March last year.

Company documents show Scotts’ offices at 410 Pakington St are the registered address of Scale Facilitation, as well as Recharge Industries.

Mr Collard and schoolmate James Fatone are listed as directors of both companies, as well as Sanitex Global which went into liquidation in late November.

The companies’ North Geelong offices and the home of Mr Fatone were raided in June by Australian Federal Police officers as part of an ongoing multi-agency probe into alleged tax fraud.

It is not suggested that Scotts acted inappropriately and efforts to contact the company were unsuccessful.

St Joseph’s College principal Tony Paatsch confirmed Mr Collard paid money into the school’s bursary fund during 2023.

It was reported last week that a Scale subsidiary submitted an invoice to another subsidiary for £5500 ($10,500) plus £1100 value added tax for a “bursary payment”.

It could not be verified whether that payment was related to the St Joseph’s bursary.

Mr Paatsch said donation specifics were private.

Mr Collard did not respond to questions about the payment.

Corrina Eccles and Bill Mithen at the Conversations That Matter event. Picture: Jane Fitzgerald Photography.

Give Where You Live chief executive Bill Mithen said Scale committed to a $15,000 sponsorship for its Conversations That Matter event on May 31 last year with Olympic gold medallist Nova Peris.

“When we started to chase the money they asked us to break the invoice into three $5000 instalments, which was a bit strange,” he said.

“We chased and chased and chased them but never saw a cent.”

The event was in partnership with Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, which Scale entered into a memorandum of understanding with four weeks prior.

“Recognising the first innovators of the land on which we operate is not only imperative for us, but it is also a privilege,” Mr Collard said at the time.

Ms Conley said Scale took out a $20,000 sponsorship for the Geelong Manufacturing Council’s 25th anniversary at Avalon Airport on March 2.

As part of the package, Mr Collard provided a video message to a crowd that included Deputy Prime Minister and Corio MP Richard Marles and Wadawurrung Corporation’s Corrina Eccles – both of whom were present at Scale’s launch of its US headquarters in December 2022.

“It’s been a sad story for Geelong,” Ms Conley said of the trail of debt.

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Originally published as Scale Facilitation, founder David Collard and its trail of debts: Geelong Football Club and Manufacturing Council among those owed money