Northern Territory

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We were appointed Voluntary Administrators of Quarterbern Pty Ltd, which operated civil construction and equipment hire businesses known as “QB Hire”. The Company operations continued under Administration whilst construction contracts in Alice Springs and Arnhemland were completed and a marketing campaign was conducted for the sale of the business.  

We were appointed Liquidator of Gagudju Charitable Association, an entity established to provide services to, and benefit, the local aboriginal people in Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory. Gagudju owned and operated a buffalo farm with a herd numbering 400, which was managed and ultimately sold during the course of the Liquidation. This was a challenging appointment during which cultural issues and sensitivities needed to be managed.  

We were appointed Receivers and Managers of Outdoor Adventure, which operated two backpacker resorts located at Alice Springs, incorporating a backpacker tourist operation offering all inclusive tours within the Northern Territory.  

We were appointed Voluntary Administrators of the ASX listed, Arafura Pearls Holdings Limited, in 2011. Based in the Northern Territory, the Company was Australia’s second largest producer of South Sea Pearls. In addition to the operation of pearl farms, the Company was also the responsible entity of five registered managed investment schemes that received in excess of $30 million in investment funds. Subsequent to our appointment we negotiated an agreement which allowed the full payout of the Company’s first ranking secured creditor with the assignment of all other fixed charges over the Company to the purchaser of its pearl farming assets. 

We were engaged to conduct an Investigative Accountants review of the aged care facility for the secured creditor. The facility, based in Darwin, comprised 57 bed accommodation, which included a specialist dementia care and accommodation unit. 

We were engaged to conduct an Investigative Accountants review of a significant tourism service provider by the secured creditor. The Company’s operations were located in the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Tasmania and incorporated bus and camping tours, together with backpacker accommodation with annual turnover of $14m.  

We were appointed Voluntary Administrators of the Club which operated a public, 18 hole championship golf course and lawn bowls facilities as well as licensed premises including a 22 machine gaming lounge. The Club continued to trade under a Deed of Company Arrangement whilst protracted negotiations were undertaken to secure a transfer of the Club’s operations and a redevelopment of the Club’s facilities. Following the transfer, payment was made to the Club’s secured creditor, employees received their entitlements in full and a dividend paid to the Club’s unsecured creditors  

 We were appointed Receivers and Managers of The Vic Hotel located in the Smith Street Mall Darwin.  We continued to trade the business for a period of 4 months whilst the business and assets were marketed for sale and an eventual agreement regarding the assets was concluded.  

We were appointed Voluntary Administrators of a company developing the Sadgroves Creek Industrial Estate located 5km south of the Darwin CBD. At the time of the appointment, 19 blocks had been completed and sold, and a further sub-division work was required, including creating 51 blocks that were to be made available to the market. A Deed of Company Arrangement was effectuated in this matter. 

We were appointed Liquidators of Central Quarries and Crushing, an entity which provided crushing services to Western Desert Resources. The company’s failure was a consequence of Western Desert Resources being placed into Voluntary Administration.  

We were appointed Voluntary Administrators of Western Desert Resources Ltd, an ASX listed company that operated an iron ore mine at Roper Bar in the Northern Territory. The mine operated on a contractor board model and had a production capacity of 250,000 tonnes per month. This was a complex Administration owing to the significant stakeholder interests.  

We were appointed Voluntary Administratorss of Agrow Contractors which provided vineyard and forestry services in the South East region of South Australia as well as forestry services in the Northern Territory. Specifically, Agrow prepared land for the plantation of vineyards and forests (radiata pine and eucalypt). Under Administration the Company completed work in progress prior to the business ceasing to trade and the assets being realised.  

We were appointed Receivers and Managers of the Discovery Nightclub located in central Darwin. With a licensed capacity of 1,500 people and turnover of $4m per annum. We continued to trade the business for a period of 4 months whilst the business and assets were marketed for sale and an eventual sale was finalised. 

We were appointed Receivers and Managers of a fifty-two room leasehold motel in Alice Springs. The business continued to trade whilst we pursued an accelerated sale strategy, that culminated in the sale of the leasehold business as a going concern within twenty-one days. 

We were appointed Receivers and Managers of the Companies which controlled five businesses, predominantly in the Tourism and Hospitality sector. The businesses included the Knotts Crossing Resort, the Bark Hut Inn and the Annaburroo Billabong located along the Arnhem Highway. The other business controlled by the Companies were a tyre retailer and a printing enterprise. 

We were appointed Voluntary Administrators of VIP Travel Australia. The Company’s business provided luxury accommodated tours from Darwin to Kakadu and Alice Springs to Uluru. The Company continued to trade from its three locations (Darwin, Alice Springs, Yulara) during the Administration whilst a marketing campaign for the sale of the business was undertaken. The business was sold as a going concern. 

We were engaged to conduct an Investigating Accountant's review of a 40 room motel and resort complex on behalf of the secured creditor. The resort was based in the vicinity of Kakadu and incorporated a strata-titled holiday and residential sub-division. 

We were appointed by the Court as Liquidator of Reworrah, which traded from a depot in Darwin. Reworrah had a fleet of twenty courier vans and trucks and provided metropolitan courier and country delivery services. We continued to trade the business for a short period and the realisation strategy resulted in all secured creditors and employees being paid in full. 

We were appointed Receivers and Managers of Chemtronics, which operated five retail stores located at Aboriginal settlements in and around Katherine. The retail operations, in the main, spanned supermarket and electrical appliance stock lines. 

We were appointed Bankruptcy Trustee of an individual who operated a panel beating and crash repair business as a sole trader in Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory. The business and assets were realised as a going concern maximising the return from the sale process as well as retaining employment. The sale also preserved the maintenance of an important service in a remote location. 

We were appointed Receivers and Managers of C & D McBride, which operated a transport and logistics business from its base in Alice Springs. The Company had a significant fleet of prime movers and road train equipment, which primarily operated between Darwin and Adelaide. 

We were appointed Voluntary Administrators of Besser Industries Pty Ltd, which operated a business manufacturing concrete “Besser” blocks and pavers from premises located in Winnellie. At the time of the appointment, the Company was developing a substantial area of land south of Darwin for industrial purposes, which had encountered difficulties during the second stage of the development. 

We were appointed Receivers and Managers of the Daly Waters Hi-way Inn and Larrimah Green Park Tourist Complex located south of Katherine. Both businesses comprised of a retail fuel outlet, licenced roadhouse and accommodation, which continued to trade under our control whilst a marketing campaign was undertaken and a sale finalised in respect of both businesses. 

We were appointed Receivers and Managers of Clarence Station. The station was 500 square kilometres in size and located near Katherine in the Northern Territory. In order to prepare the property for sale it was necessary to engage contractors to locate and muster the livestock. 

We were appointed Receivers and Managers of the Berrimah Hotel/Motel and the Parap Hotel, both located in suburbs of Darwin. The Hotels had a combined annual turnover of $7m and continued to trade under our control whilst a marketing campaign for the sale of the Hotels was undertaken, and the sales finalised. 

We were appointed Voluntary Administrators of the Pints Club, an incorporated association located in Alice Springs. The Club’s facilities comprised a bar, 80 seat licenced restaurant and gaming room. 

We were engaged to conduct an Investigating Accountant's review of the resort complex and strata titled holiday and residential development south of Darwin on behalf of the secured creditor. 

We were appointed Voluntary Administrators of the Mataranka Hotel located approximately 100km south of Katherine. The Hotel was comprised of bars, gaming, accommodation and a retail fuel/roadhouse. The business continued to trade under our control whilst a sale campaign was undertaken and a sale was finalised. 

We were appointed Receivers and Managers of the Tennant Creek Hotel, one of two hotels located in Tennant Creek. The Hotel had bar, restaurant, nightclub and accommodation facilities and continued to trade under our control whilst we pursued a sale of the business as a going concern. 

We were appointed Receivers and Managers of the Hayes Creek Wayside Inn, an iconic Northern Territory resort located between Darwin and Katherine. The resort’s operations included accommodation, caravan park and associated leisure facilities. We continued to trade the business whilst we undertook a marketing campaign.