Statewide building firm goes to the wall

A STATEWIDE construction business with a Townsville office is being wound up, leaving tradies in limbo.

Phil Dowthwaite has pulled the plug on his solely owned company, GPH Projects Pty Ltd, shuttering offices here and on the Gold Coast.

He appointed Mitchell Herrett and Frank Pilato, from accounting firm RSM Australia Partners, as joint liquidators to wind up the firm.

Mr Dowthwaite couldn’t be reached for comment and Mr Herrett would not divulge any information, such as how many creditors are out there or how much they are owed.

The still-intact GPH website says “we stand by our uncompromising integrity and fairness in dealing with clients, project teams and partners” so hopefully that ethos remains in play.

Mr Dowthwaite launched GPH on the Gold Coast in 2005, securing work from state and local governments as well as completing numerous residential, commercial and industrial projects for developers.

Among his trophy homes was a sprawling Sanctuary Cove luxury pad that changed hands a few years ago for $7 million.

In 2014 Mr Dowthwaite branched out to Townsville, where he built plenty of unit developments, including the $35 million Castle Point project for now-defunct Blue Sky Alternative Investments.

He also oversaw the $35 million expansion of Blue Sky’s Riverside Gardens unit development.

GPH kept busy with jobs in the public sector too, including work on the redevelopment of the historic Jezzine Barracks site for the Townsville City Council.