Former BCEL board chair Greg Zwajgenberg says the Tax Office has him in its sights. Photo: LinkedIn.
The man who led Brindabella Christian College to financial collapse and called in administrators in March claims that the Tax Office is pursuing him personally over the school’s multi-million-dollar tax debt.
Former Brindabella Christian Education Ltd board chair and director Greg Zwajgenberg stated in a social media post that the ATO was pursuing him alone, and not any other director, for $5.2 million.
He also stated that the ATO had issued a Departure Prohibition Order (DPO) to prevent him from leaving the country.
Mr Zwajgenberg also took aim at ACT Education Minister Yvette Berry’s urgent legislation to reduce the 60-day public consultation period for transferring school registration to a seven-day minimum, which would mean BCC could be transferred to Christian Community Ministries, the preferred new operator selected by the Deloitte administrators, as early as 13 May 2025.
The consultation period, which includes two surveys for staff and parents, ends on 7 May.
The post, which reveals details of his interaction with the ATO, suggests that he was being “stitched up” as part of efforts to clean the books before school is handed over to CCM.
“The ATO issued DPNs [Director Penalty Notices] to me on 12 November 2024 for $7,137,582.11, later adjusted to $5,207,839.23 (My ATO FOI request, 14 April 2025), and a DPO on 6 January 2025, citing flawed evidence (e.g., a Hong Kong layover misstated as a 29-day China trip), and questioning normal commercial transactions in France,” Mr Zwajgenberg said.
“The ATO is now seeking to meet, just before the CCM transfer, which appears designed to pressure me into settling the $5.2 million ATO debt of BCEL, aligning with the expedited transfer timeline enabled by the urgent bill from Berry.”
It is understood that the administrators and CCM briefed staff on the transition at the school on Wednesday. Ms Berry also attended but did not speak.
The new owner will face numerous challenges, including what to do about the illegal parking area. Photo: Region.
Unless a problem emerges, Ms Berry is expected to approve the handover to CCM, which runs 14 schools in several states.
It is believed that the administrators would then proceed with the sale of the property and pay creditors from the proceeds according to the terms of settlement; however, it is not known how much creditors, including the ATO, will receive.
However, the administrators would not comment when asked about the process for creditors, particularly regarding the situation with the ATO and director liability in the event of a sale.
The ATO’s wind-up action against BCEL has been adjourned till 21 May, while the administrators have until 3 August to hold a second creditors’ meeting.
Mr Zwajgenberg also accused the administrators of potentially undervaluing the school property in their haste to clinch a sale and of a “sweetheart deal” with CCM at his personal expense.
He said the school was valued at a minimum of $47 million.
BCEL owes more than $20 million to creditors, including $9 million to its financier, NAB.
The school has lost about 200 students, but a sign outside the Lyneham campus is still advertising for new enrolments, despite BCC remaining above the unenforced 750-student limit for the site.
Administrators closed BCC’s Charnwood K-6 campus on 11 April.
CCM will have a host of issues to resolve when it takes over, including framing a viable budget, establishing new governance structures, the illegal car park and other compliance matters, and restoring relationships with the Lyneham community.
