One of the local parents behind an effort to have educational travel company Actura New Zealand placed into liquidation says she wants to see the company held to account.
As the Times has previously reported, Actura NZ’s parent company Actura Australia Pty Ltd went into liquidation last month. Its New Zealand business followed suit on July 17.
Numerous east Auckland families had each paid more than $10,000 for their children to attend the company’s trips to locations including NASA in the United States and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
In an email to parents on June 14, Actura Australia Pty Ltd chief executive officer Charles Chung said: “It is with regret and sadness that I must advise that Actura Australia Pty Ltd has with immediate effect gone into liquidation.”
According to the NZ Companies Office website, Actura NZ’s director is Tin Chung Chung of New South Wales, Australia.
Larissa Logan, the director of Fixity Limited, has been appointed liquidator of Actura NZ by shareholder resolution.
She says she’s dealing with “a number of statutory matters including making contact with the [company’s] director”.
“The director has advised the New Zealand entity has ceased trading and all employees in New Zealand were terminated when the Australian entity went into liquidation.
“The director also confirmed there are limited assets in New Zealand, all with a negligible value.
“It’s too early for us to assess the current position, until we have more information, which we have requested from multiple stakeholders.”
Logan says it’s been a challenging time for a lot of Kiwi families who are caught up in the “incredibly disappointing situation”.
“We understand there may be more than 270 New Zealand creditors impacted and acknowledge there’s been limited communication to the New Zealand creditors since the Australian entity went into liquidation.
“The appointment of a liquidator to the New Zealand entity has been led by creditors, including driving funding on a Givealittle page to fund the liquidation.
“Part of my role as liquidator will be to investigate the affairs of the business including what has led to the insolvency of the business and whether there are any recoveries for the benefit of creditors.
“The investigation will take time, whilst we get access to the company’s books and records.
“If any creditors have information that would benefit these investigations, we would ask this information is provided to the liquidator.”
A statement posted to a Facebook page set up for impacted families states the liquidator’s appointment was only “possible due to those who have supported the cause with donating $100 to become preferred creditors and the generous donations to the Givealittle page”.
One of the key parents behind the effort to have Actura NZ placed into liquidation is local mother Deb Lawson.
“We’ve got grandparents who have paid for their grandchildren to go [on an Actura trip] who have lost $15,000, and it’s all of these folks who have no idea where to turn for support and answers,” she says.
“That’s what makes me want to go in to fight for them and do what I can.”
Lawson says 650 families have joined the Facebook page, of which 362 are in New Zealand.
“Of those we’ve had about 100 collaborate to contribute money to appoint a liquidator.
“It’s been a very lengthy exercise that’s taken hours and hours of our time, with the view to doing two things – holding Actura accountable for their actions, but also to provide some answers for the families.”
In addition, some of the parents who are out of pocket have complained to New Zealand’s Commerce Commission.
A spokesperson for the Commission says it’s referred the matter to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).
The Times asked the SFO if it was able to comment as to whether it’s investigating.
A spokesperson for the SFO confirmed it’s received and is evaluating a complaint from the Commerce Commission but it’s unable to provide further information at this stage.
