Gympie builder’s licence terminated by State watchdog
EMBATTLED Gympie building company Corbet Johns has been dealt another blow, with its building licence cancelled by the industry watchdog this week.
The Queensland Building and Construction Commission terminated the company's permit on Tuesday after it failed to comply with a financial audit.
It follows the suspension of the licence in April over unpaid debts.
That suspension was lifted in May, but reinstated last month over the ongoing debt problem.
Despite the cancellation, director Grant Johns said the business would return in the new year.
He said the COVID outbreak "tipped us over the edge".
MORE GYMPIE NEWS
* CRASH UPDATE: Man taken to hospital with spinal injuries
* YOUR SAY: 23 future game-changers for the Gympie region
The loss of the licence was "expected"; now the plan was "to spend the remainder of the year cleaning the business up".
"It's forced us to organise everything," Mr Johns said.
And he refuted concerns the company was headed for liquidation.
"We're not going broke, we're not bankrupt … but we're not sticking our heads in the sand; we're dedicated to meeting our obligations."
Only one project was still unfinished with Corbet Johns when its licence was pulled; the others, Mr Johns said, had been completed through his personal licence.
MORE GYMPIE NEWS
* Gympie corner store goes into liquidation after 115 years
* Stolen war medals returned to Burnett owner after 34 years
A QBCC spokesman said it had received and was assessing one non-completion claim from a Corbet Johns' customer.
"Any home owner who contracted with Corbet Johns Builders Pty Ltd and who has an issue with defective or incomplete building work, should contact the QBCC to lodge a claim for assessment under the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme," he said.
"The QBCC's Minimum Financial Requirements require licencees to have sufficient working capital for their turnover."
Since 2017, Corbet Johns has delivered almost $5 million of residential construction projects.
