Empire run out of town
THE director of Gold Coastbased Empire Constructions says the company is “leaving the building industry” after Queensland’s building regulator suspended its licence.
Empire is the subject of long-running investigation by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission, which has also referred claims of phoenix activities to corporate regulator ASIC.
Last week, the company lost its nominee, leaving it without a qualified builder on the books, and the QBCC imposed more conditions on its licence.
This week, the regulator reinstated an earlier suspension from September, which was successfully appealed in the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
The QBCC has been unable to explain why QCAT granted a stay on the suspension, because the tribunal also granted a non-publication order on the case.
Empire is directed by Amber Callender, 37, whose bankrupt husband Paul Callender, 35, is sole director of Queensland One Homes, which collapsed in July with debts of more than $6 million.
Yesterday, Ms Callender said Empire had attempted
to cancel the licence voluntarily “on Friday May 11” and the QBCC was only looking to “gain publicity”.
“My lawyers confirmed that the QBCC received the tracked mail at 9.46am Monday May 14.
“Despite this the QBCC are attempting to gain publicity by claiming they in fact ‘suspended’ the licence.
“This is now irrelevant considering Empire no longer wishes to hold a building licence with the QBCC. Empire is leaving the building industry.”
Pressed on whether she and her husband planned to leave the industry, Ms Callender replied “we are leaving the industry”.
Subcontractors and clients of both companies were fuming last week when it was revealed the couple had launched a new business, named Phoenix Rural Fencing and Landscaping.
Ms Callender’s directorship of the Callingle Pty Ltd, the company behind the unlicensed Phoenix fencing business, does not show up in regular name searches because her surname is spelled “Callendar” on the documents lodged with corporate regulator ASIC.
Since November, Empire’s licence has been conditional on Mr Callender being excluded from influencing its operations.
However, the Bulletin obtained photos of him on an Empire Constructions site, arriving in a Phoenix Rural Fencing-branded ute that he conceded was registered to Empire Constructions.
“I was putting up a fence. I was contracted to Empire,” he told the Bulletin, when approached for comment.
Empire Constructions has vacated its Ormeau office and Ms Callender has gone back to her former career performing cosmetic injections.
Laws introduced late last year provide penalties that can apply to people excluded from QBCC licences, including the ability for courts to jail repeat offenders who carry out building work without an appropriate QBCC licence.