Govt "didn't know of " Coral Coast Homes woes

The Queensland Government has rejected claims it knew about problems at Coral Coast Homes 12 months before the company collapsed.

Coral Coast Homes went into liquidation in early June owing about $1 million to about 100 customers.

The Member for Burnett, Rob Messenger, told Parliament in June that the Department of Fair Trade and Building Services Authority knew about the alleged misconduct of the director, John Biles, at least 12 months beforehand.

But Fair Trade Minister Peter Lawlor has told a budget estimates hearing that the complaints were made by customers to the Office of Fair Trading only days before the collapse of the company.

"I have been assured by the Commissioner for Fair Trading that according to their records that the Office of Fair Trade [had] not been aware of concerns about these companies' operations for 12 months," he said.

"Fair Trading has now received 11 written complaints concerning these companies with the first only having been received [on] the 1st of June 2009."