Unlicensed builder denies hand in Coast development

A Coast builder who lost his licence last year says he has not had a hand in a unit development, that he launched before his firm collapsed owing $1.8 million.

An artist impression of a Cooroy unit development that was launched by now unlicensed builder Travis Drenth before his company went into liquidation.

A Coast builder who lost his licence last year says he has not had a hand in a unit development, that he launched before his firm collapsed.

Travis Drenth Constructions Pty Ltd went into liquidation in December last year owing $1.8 million to creditors, employees' superannuation and the tax office.

Travis Drenth said he stopped being involved in all building projects once his licence was cancelled.

"I can't have anything to do with it," he told the Daily.

"I can't be the builder."

Liquidator Dane Hammond said the company was wound up owing money to 90 different creditors.

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Australian Securities and Investments Commission documents listed Erika Rose Drenth, 39, as a company director of the failed company and Travis Wade Drenth as a shareholder.

They both listed the same Lake Macdonald property as the principal place of business and their home address.

According to the Queensland Building and Construction Commission, Mr Drenth is excluded from holding a contractor or nominee supervisor licence, or from running a licensed company for three years.

The exclusion began on December 19, last year.

Unlicensed Coast builder Travis Drenth's development application at Garnet St Cooroy has been approved by Noosa Council.

Noosa Council records showed Travis Drenth Constructions applied in March last year to build five units at a Garnet St property in Cooroy.

Property website RP Data showed Mr Drenth bought the 1012sq m block for $530,000 in a deal that settled two months before the development application was lodged.

The council approved the application.

A private certification for a five-unit complex at the same Garnet St property was lodged with Noosa Council on December 9 last year listing Travis Drenth Constructions as the builder and Noosaville building certification consultancy Pacific BCQ as the applicant and certifier.

Travis Drenth Constructions went into liquidation 10 days later.

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Mr Drenth was listed as the applicant for a minor change to the 2019 council approval on documents lodged last month.

The application sought to convert balconies on two of the units into bedrooms.

The changes were approved on November 3.

The council on November 4 issued TW Drenth, care of town planner Pivotal Perspective, an amended infrastructure charges notice for $42,500.

But Mr Drenth said the November council application was not lodged by him, and had since been amended removing his name.

He also said he sold the land "earlier this year".

When asked about the document from Noosa Council which had him as the applicant, Mr Drenth said "that had to do with the amendment to the current decision notice."

When asked who the new owners were Mr Drent replied, "check with the title office."

According to the property and title search on the Queensland Government website, the property is being transferred to a company called 8 Garnet Development Pty Ltd, a company that was set up less than two months before Travis Drenth Constructions Pty Ltd went into liquidation.

Australian Securities and Investments Commission documents show 8 Garnet Development Pty Ltd is directed by Clete Michael Ryan, 41, of Bellbrae in Victoria.

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Tiler Troy Dickenson was one of the 90 creditors left unpaid after Travis Drenth Constructions was liquidated.

He said he had been paid only $5000 of an $18,000 job.

"They kept p---ing in my pocket saying, 'tomorrow, tomorrow'," Mr Dickinson said.

He said Mr Drenth's construction company was "very disorganised."

"They had way too many jobs on," he said.

"Lots of things were ringing alarm bells, but I had just put my son on as an apprentice and we needed the work."

Abbey Constructions director Ed Barrett said he was owed $8500 but he said he was not holding out any hope of ever seeing the money.

"It's just business, you get used to it," he said.

Mr Drenth said he had "lost everything I own" with the company collapse, but said he was going to pay out all of his creditors.

"I have paid off the majority of the debts and I'll pay everyone I owe," Mr Drenth said.

"I've still got to do the right thing."

Liquidator Dane Hammond said the company was "the victim of getting involved in some pretty high scale projects that probably weren't overly well placed to follow through on".

He said there had been "complications" with contracts relating to projects in Townsville and Hamilton Island.

Mr Drenth was formerly a builder in the Northern Territory.

According to the Northern Territory Government website Travis Drenth Constructions was reportedly awarded more than $11 million in government contracts in the Northern Territory between 2013 and May 2020.