Roberts Co

Tycoon Andrew Roberts has proposed a deal for his collapsed building empire that will see him tip in about $20m to pay staff, but some tradies and larger creditors are likely to be short-changed in the fallout from the construction company’s insolvency.

The son of Multiplex founder John Roberts will exit his costly foray into construction after his Roberts Co companies called in administrators in the wake of major projects blowing out in Victoria.

Mr Roberts has put up a deed of company arrangement for the companies that he is hoping is backed by creditors of both the Victorian arm and the firm’s parent company in order to stave off a liquidation process. That could probe claims of insolvent trading and him being a shadow director of the fallen companies, both of which were surfaced in a report by McGrathNicol, and which Mr Roberts denies.

The creditors will vote on the proposal at meetings to be held next Monday for both the Victorian arm, which fell into the hands of McGrathNicol, and the parent company of the top tier construction player, which is under the control of FTI.

Andrew Roberts

The collapse shook the industry as work on a series of sites in Victoria halted – some have since restarted – and it…