Peat faces wind-up order

DIRT provider Peat Resources of Australia has had a wind-up order initiated against it by CGU-VACC Insurance Limited, which is scheduled to be heard by the Supreme Court on July 4.

The proceeding was brought forward by Phillips Fox Lawyers, who are acting on behalf of the plaintiffs.

Peat Resources of Australia is controlled by Kevin Pollock, who previously operated Soils Ain’t Soils, and is still a director of Soiland Garden Supplies.

Mr Pollock told WA Business News it was too early to make any comments on the proceedings, and he would wait until negotiations had been resolved.

However, he expected that the matter would be resolved over the next week, before proceeding through the court.

In order to get the wind-up order dismissed, Mr Pollock will need to prove Peat Resources of Australia has the ability to pay the debt that the insurance company alleges it is owed.

According to Phillip Fox solicitor Marcus Strohmeier, Peat Resources owes $364,718 for insurance cover for the past year, including $235,555 for workers’ compensation.

Australian Securities and Investment Commission records list Mr Pollock as a director of All Terrain Aust Pty Ltd, Bellvale Nominees Pty Ltd, Boronga Pty Ltd, Kwik & Swift Enterprises Pty Ltd, Soiland Garden Suppliers Pty Ltd and Wizard Industries Pty Ltd.

Mr Pollock is not new to the court process. Last month Peat Resources was fined $122,400 in the Perth Magistrate’s Court for unlawful development on land from which he operated in Jandakot.

It is reported that the company has received seven similar convictions for offences that were committed against the Town Planning and Development Act on the company’s Acourt Road property.

In the latest case, Cockburn Council alleged that the company used the Jandakot land, which sits above the Jandakot groundwater mound, for soil blending without any form of planning approval.

In February, Soiland Garden Suppliers was fined $30,000 plus costs of $417,380 for illegally clearing wetlands at Canning Vale.