Pandanus Group has gone into voluntary liquidation owing $1.7m

An Indigenous-focused labour hire company that promised to break welfare dependency has left creditors exposed to $1.7m in debts after entering liquidation.

Labour hire company Pandanus Group has gone into voluntary liquidation.

A Brisbane labour hire company that focuses on Indigenous workers has gone into voluntary liquidation owing $1.5m to the Australian Taxation Office.

Based in Stafford, in Brisbane’s inner northern suburbs, Pandanus Group is controlled by Mumpara Group Holdings of which Peter Remfrey is the director.

According to its LinkedIn page Mumpara Group is a nationwide family of non-profit and profit-for-purpose companies that seeks to empower Indigenous families to “holistically” break the cycle of generational welfare dependency.

Remfrey is also the director of Pandanus Group and the managing director of Pandanus Workforce. When contacted by Citybeat Remfrey refused to comment.

Liquidator B & T Advisory Travis Pullin says Pandanus Group’s current known creditors were owed about $1.7m.

“Approximately $1.5m of this is owed to the Australian Taxation Office. The balance is to WorkCover and the Queensland Office of State Revenue,” he says.

Pandanus Group’s current known creditors were owed about $1.7m.

According to documents lodged with the ASIC the company was involved in a restructuring plan for a 12-month period over 2023-24.

On its website it says Remfrey grew up on Wurrumiyanga on Bathurst Island in the Northern Territory; fluent in the Tiwi language.

“Peter’s upbringing instilled a passion for keeping culture strong while advocating for socio-economic change and employment within the Indigenous landscape,” the website says.

“His experience and knowledge shape the way our company approaches the workforce solutions sector, allowing us to bridge the gap between the commercial needs of a business and its workforce.”

Taco time

The team behind C’est Bon and Le Bon Bar will open a new pop-up venue on Friday with star chef Andy Ashby bringing some serious Mexican flavour to Woolloongabba.

The AW Hospitality team is launching Birria Boy at heritage-listed Clarence Corner – opposite the Mater Hospital – which they say will be a bold and playful celebration of Mexico’s famous birria tacos.

Andy Ashby who will open Birria Boy on Friday.

The Brisbane-based group was founded by Ashby in partnership with stockbroking titan Steve Wilson and his wife Jane through their Wilvest Group.

The heritage building has been reimagined through partnerships with JDA Architects, Sophie Hart Design, and ICU Design.

We’re told the hero dish is the traditional birria taco, slow cooked with marinated goat or beef, served crispy and ready for dipping into a rich, aromatic consomme.

“Birria Boy is all about creating a fun, casual space that serves great food and drinks with energy,” Ashby says.

Innovators

Brisbane’s brightest academics, researchers and industry leaders are being encouraged to apply for the 2026 Lord Mayor’s Convention Trailblazer Grant, designed to secure more international business events for the city.

Delivered by Brisbane Economic Development Agency, the program provides successful applicants with up to $5000 (excluding GST) to attend an international conference in their field, helping them build networks, showcase their expertise and position Brisbane as a future host city.

Grant funding can be used to cover registration fees and travel expenses, supporting recipients to take the first step in attracting global conferences to Brisbane.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner says the initiative aimed to boost local industries, create jobs and power Brisbane’s $275bn future economy.

“The Trailblazer Grant gives our city’s innovators the chance to connect on a global stage and champion Brisbane as the location for their next world-leading conference,” he says.

Adrian Schrinner the Lord Mayor of Brisbane.

Originally published as Pandanus Group has gone into voluntary liquidation owing $1.7m