Brindabella Christian College will continue under that name, existing staff members retained and all student tuition fees paid in advance will be honoured. Photo: Region.
The new owners of Brindabella Christian College will have to negotiate the troubled legacy of the previous proprietors’ troubled administration, including regulatory action that remains current despite the school’s registration transfer and sale.
Registration has passed to Christian Community Ministries following the completion of the sale process run by the Deloitte administrators.
CCM will be required to provide quarterly reports on staffing levels, number of enrolments, financial status and governance to the Registrar of Non-Government Schools for two years as part of a raft of conditions placed on the transfer of registration.
It will also have to provide the registrar with copies of audited financial statements on the same day that these are lodged with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission.
By 1 October, CCM will have to provide the registrar with a plan to address any remaining non-compliance issues involving regulators, tribunals or courts.
The former proprietor, Brindabella Christian Education Ltd (BCEL), has left the new owners with a number of outstanding issues involving the school buildings and the illegal sealed car park, not to mention mending relationships with its neighbours and the local community.
By the first day of school term one of 2026, CCM must review CCM and BCC policies and procedures concerning nine Registration Standards, including enrolment policy, procedures and contracts; child safety standards; and compliance with territory and commonwealth laws.
Details of the sale remain confidential, but voluntary administrator and Deloitte turnaround & restructuring partner Sam Marsden said the result was an excellent outcome for the future of the school and also a strong outcome for creditors.
The administrators will continue to operate the Charnwood Early Learning Centre while searching for a new operator.
Mr Marsden said the sale to CCM was an excellent outcome for the future of the school and also provides a strong result for creditors.
“The future of Brindabella Christian College is bright, and we wish both CCM and the school community every success,” he said.
The administrators said CCM, in the offer made to purchase the college, considered not only the intrinsic value of the college’s operations, but also the resulting impact on creditors.
The school will continue to operate under the Brindabella Christian College name and existing staff members will be retained. All student tuition fees paid in advance will be honoured.
The sale did not include the school and ELC at the Charnwood campus. The college operations there were consolidated into the Lyneham campus temporarily for Term 2, but this is now permanent under CCM.
The administrators will continue to operate the Charnwood ELC while searching for a new operator.
A comprehensive update on the sale and the implications for creditors will be provided in the second report to creditors due on or before 3 August.
The school under BCEL owed more than $20 million, including at least $6 million to the Tax Office and $9 million to NAB.
