Red tape prompts Clive’s good-bye
Berghofer plans to shut this year
TOOWOOMBA property developer and builder Clive Berghofer has revealed he will wind down his construction company within months.
Nearly 60 years after he built his first home, the region’s most prominent philanthropist said he no longer got the satisfaction from the building industry like he did in the past.
Mr Berghofer said increases in costs and red tape had forced his hand.
“It will probably be this year. We’ve got work to finish, jobs to finish,” he said.
“I’m in the old school and it’s hard to keep up with the bureaucracy and it’s getting very difficult.
“It’s making life pretty difficult, because whatever you touch gets dearer - nothing gets cheaper.”
He said the company, Clive Berghofer Constructions, had just five employees left.
“They (the workers) will get a redundancy and I’m sure they’ll be okay getting a new job,” he said.
“It’s not a spur of a moment thing – I’ve let them know with plenty of time in advance.
“There are only about five workers, we’ve been phasing down as workers have left, we’ve just not replaced them.”
While he might be winding down in the construction sector, the 82-year-old said he had no plans to close his property group.
Future construction jobs are likely to be carried out by contractors.
“I’m 83 in May, so I’m probably mad (to be) working but I’ve got nothing else on my mind,” he said.
One of the last major projects left to be finished is the ninth stage of Mr Berghofer’s housing estate in Kearneys Spring.