News
27 February, 2025
Building watchdog suspends licence of local pool builder
The building and construction watchdog has suspended the licence of a local pool building outfit, which is alleged to have left a trail of unpaid debts and defective work.
Customers and contractors of ALJA Constructions Pty Ltd, which trades as Regal Pools, say they have been left out of pocket by thousands of dollars.
Regal recently deactivated its website and social media accounts and has been unreachable via phone in the past few weeks.
After enquiries from The Sentinel, a Queensland Building and Construction Commission spokesperson said: “The QBCC suspended the swimming pool construction licence of Noosa-based company ALJA Constructions, trading as Regal Pools, on 12 February 2025.”
“As a result of the licence suspension, the company is prohibited from carrying out or undertaking to carry out any building work, including any work that is currently in progress.”
Among those affected was tiler and subcontractor Roman Linhart, who said he was still owed $7000.
“I had worked for the business for two or three years, and it was a good run for the most part,” he said.
“They were telling me that they wouldn’t pay me until the customer paid them, even though I was meant to get paid before Christmas.
“I’m a small trader, so it’s a lot of money to not get.
“I spent $1500 in materials as well, so I had to ask my friend for money to get through.”
Roman, who is not a permanent resident, said he was unable to seek financial compensation from the QBCC.
“I’m just trying to survive here and look after my family.”
Woodford resident, Brent Green, said he had issues after contractors sprayed pebblecrete over his brand new glass fence and the pool’s surrounding concrete, which created a large mess.
“I noticed my glass fence that I just spent $10,000 on, had pebblecrete sprayed all over it, and the steel holding up the fence has had acid spilt on it, causing rust,” he said.
“To just replace the steel bits, it’s going to cost me $4,400, and if I fixed it all I will be $17,000.
“I spoke to Regal and they said they would cover the cost for the repairs, but I’ve never heard from them since, so I’m probably not going to do it.”
He said there were further issues he had observed including uneven work around the skimmer box.
“There are so many small little holes in the pool surface that shouldn’t be there. I was told that after two years the pebblecrete will start to fall off,” he said.
“The filter and pump kept getting blocked because of how much of the concrete surface was falling off.
“So I got a robot pool cleaner and I’m emptying at least a handful of concrete out of it every day.”
A Delaneys Creek resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said she had paid $57,000 for a pool and alleged she was owed several thousand dollars.
“We are probably much better off than quite a few others, and our pool is swimmable, but there are a few defects,” she said.
“This has caused us to not be able to finish the tiling around the pool or fencing because there’s a possibility the pool may have to come out of the ground.
“Our pool has rust marks on the surface from nails that Regal Pools left sitting on the bottom for months on end, and the pool is not level.”
She said she was unable to terminate her contract with Regal simply because they had stopped responding.
The QBCC’s online public register of licensees shows the company had 65 residential contracts in 2024-25, insured under the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme (QHWS), valued at $3.4m. It had 91 contracts worth $4.9 million the previous financial year.
QBCC’s suspension of the licence means that affected customers are able to lodge claims.
The Sentinel contacted Regal Pools for comment. Glass House MP and Minister for Tourism, Andrew Powell, also weighed in on the issue, saying he had received several complaints from residents.
“Although the specific reasons behind the closure are not yet known, the abrupt nature of it raises questions about potential financial difficulties, legal issues, or operational challenges within the business,” he said.
“The sudden closure has had a significant impact on residents in the Glass House electorate, leaving many in financial distress and emotional turmoil.
“Homeowners who have invested thousands of dollars into their dream pools are now facing uncertainty.”
