Challenging Minds: NT NDIS provider wound up after director Peter Veltman’s death

An NDIS provider that operated in Darwin and Alice Springs has been wound up by corporate regulator ASIC in order for the company’s cash reserves to be used to pay outstanding employee benefits.

Challenging Minds director Peter Veltman. Picture: Facebook

An NDIS provider that operated in Darwin and Alice Springs has been wound up by corporate regulator in order for the company’s cash reserves to be used to pay outstanding employee benefits after its founder and director’s tragic death last year.

Challenging Minds Pty Ltd was established in 2020 by Peter Veltman, the company’s sole director and owner.

It specialised in the provision of positive behaviour and therapeutic support, and serviced clients throughout the Territory from its offices in Darwin and Alice Springs.

It ceased operating in June 2023 due to the untimely death of Mr Veltman, who was aged 51.

Now the company has been formally wound up, with its control being placed in the hands of Rodgers Reidy NT liquidator Stuart Reid after deliberation by ASICs abandoned companies panel.

“What that means is when ASIC becomes aware a company has ceased to trade and there are employees owed entitlements, ASIC can act to appoint a liquidator in order to give employees access to the FEG [the commonwealth’s Fair Entitlements Guarantee],” Mr Reid said.

“It’s a generous scheme that covers unpaid wages, annual and long service leave, pay in lieu of notice and redundancies.”

Challenging Minds director Peter Veltman. Picture: LinkedIn

Mr Reid said he had identified four employees who were owed benefits.

The company maintained “some cash at bank” with which to pay out employees (the rest will be covered by the FEG), and there had not been any unsecured creditors identified.

“It’s a fairly discrete winding up, in that sense,” Mr Reid said.

Mr Veltman, the late company director, previously worked as the Northern Territory operations manager for ermha365, another NDIS provider, and before that, in the disability support sector in his native Victoria.

In the wake of his death on June 5 last year, Mr Veltman’s friend Tom Lambert posted a moving tribute to his friend of two decades to social media.

“I met Peter Veltman online in 2003/04, the days of Gaydar and MSN chat,” Mr Lambert wrote.

“After chatting online and realising a connection, we met in person at Pride March.

“Pride March became the annual celebration of our friendship.

“It was also memorable as he often marched with the Melbourne Rainbow Band, honking his trombone for all to see.

“He broke my heart by moving to Darwin to expand the reach of NDIS provider [ermha365]. “It was a move that both he and I knew was necessary.

“It hurt us emotionally and made us cherish our text message conversations and phone calls.

“I was so proud and happy for him when, one night, he called me to tell me he was going into business by himself.

“We started brainstorming on business names and catchphrases. Challenging Minds was born.”

Originally published as Challenging Minds: NT NDIS provider wound up after director Peter Veltman’s death