Big builder Corbel Construction in liquidation

Corbel worked on Parnell Terraces in Auckland. Photo/Doug Sherring

A big Christchurch-headquartered builder, which had $35 million of projects under way last year in Auckland, is in liquidation.

Corbel Construction is a commercial and residential building company headquartered on Lichfield St, Christchurch. It has carried out extensive seismic, leaky building, education and healthcare projects, including work for the Ministry of Education.

Its liquidation follows the collapse of Ebert Construction, working on many big apartment jobs in Auckland, and losses of nearly $1b from Fletcher Building's construction division.

Corbel's website is no longer active and staff have sent emails out saying the firm is in the hands of Ashton Wheelans, Christchurch accountants. The reception there said this morning a director, Andrew Oorschot, was the liquidator. Companies Office records also show the liquidation.

Corbel director and 48 per cent shareholder Mark Wells says he no longer works for the business: "Unfortunately the business has gone into liquidation. For any inquiries please contact the liquidators at Ashton Wheelans," his automatic email response says.

Ross Meikle, Corbel's chief executive until October, has also sent emails saying he is no longer working at the firm.

The builders took on one of the country's largest leaky buildings: repairing the extensively damaged 81-unit Parnell townhouse complex Parnell Terraces on The Strand in Quay Park. But the business left that job many weeks ago.

Finance documents indicate the BNZ has security over Corbel Construction while other secured parties include Carters Building Supplies, Fletcher Steel, Fletcher Building Products, Placemakers Riccarton, Christchurch Readymix Concrete, Portacom New Zealand, McKechnie Aluminium Solutions and Southern Hospitality.

Corbel said last year that it had $35m of projects underway in Auckland and was expanding in the North Island.

Kevin Burke, then general manager, said the work included:

• The $3.5m refurbishment of 560 Mt Roskill Rd, a historic building to Heritage status in Mt Roskill for the Auckland City Council. The building on the corner of Mt Eden Road and Mt Albert road originally housed the Mt Roskill Council chambers, mayoral office and administrative departments;
• The refurbishment of the historic Ellen Melville Centre in Auckland's High St for $4.5m;
• The construction of amenities including a manager's bungalow, kitchen, showers and toilet facilities at the Muriwai Camp Grounds on behalf of Panuku Development Auckland, for $2.4m;
• Re-roofing, from flat to pitched, five school buildings at Birkenhead College for $3.8m on behalf of the Ministry of Education;
• The $350,000 refurbishment and upgrading of the Fraser McDonald geriatric mental health facility for the Auckland District Health Board;
• The $12.6m refurbishment of 84 townhouses, Parnell Terraces, in Parnell for the body corporate;
• A $160,000 4th stage of seismic strengthening of the Market Garden apartments in St Lukes for the body corporate;
• The $2.5m refurbishment and re-roofing of the Westview Medical Centre in Glen Eden for Helios JV, the building owners;
• Emergency re-roofing of two gyms at Manurewa High School valued at $1m;
• Construction of two new teaching blocks (arts and language) at Selwyn College valued at $5m.

Corbel had 17 full-time employees and was based in Grey Lynn, it said.