Toowoomba Grand Central builder Probuild in administration with Deloitte, thousands of workers, creditors at risk

The builder of one of Toowoomba’s most significant developments in recent years has been placed in administration, putting thousands of creditors at risk.

Grand Central shopping centre’s expansion was completed by Probuild in 2017.

The lead contractor behind the $300m expansion of Grand Central Shopping Centre has entered administration, leaving hundreds of workers and thousands of creditors at risk.

Probuild, which is owned by parent company WBHO along with 17 other subsidiaries, completed the major Toowoomba project in 2017 that doubled the size of the centre.

The construction company’s administrator Deloitte lodged the application with the Federal Court on Wednesday.

According to the Courier-Mail, Probuild reportedly owes nearly 800 workers about $14m in pay in a situation lawyer Hamish Austin described as “nightmarish”.

“It is mind boggling the amount of work to get across this type of administration,” Mr Austin told the court.

“It is nightmarish when you consider you have construction projects in real time ongoing and where any delay is likely to be extremely costly.”

Queensland Investment Corporation, which owns Grand Central, indicated it was unlikely to be a creditor and declined to comment.

Probuild was in the process of completing 19 major projects across Australia.

Hutchinson Builders, which has an arm in Toowoomba, indicated it might consider taking on the incomplete developments.

Wagners Holding Company CEO Cameron Coleman said the business had done work with Probuild in the past, but were not a creditor.

Mr Coleman said Wagners were not in a geographic position to take advantage of the unfinished projects either.