A Year of Negligence: Why We Were Forced to Close Our Coolangatta Campus

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At Burleigh Heads Language Centre, we believe in creating safe, welcoming, and inspiring spaces for students from around the world. Unfortunately, our Coolangatta campus; once a vibrant learning environment, became the centre of a long and painful legal dispute caused by the landlord's repeated failure to repair serious water damage and toxic mould.

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The Problem Began in 2023

• Our lease began in December 2022.

• By May 2024, we first reported water leaking into the premises.

• We sent over a dozen formal notices between May 2024 and March 2025 urging the landlord to act.

• The landlord inspected the site multiple times but failed to fix the issue.

 

Mould Outbreak and Health Risks

• By July 2024, toxic mould (including Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Cladosporium) had spread throughout the premises.

• Independent mould reports in February and April 2025 confirmed dangerously high levels.

• This contamination created serious health and safety risks for our students and staff.

• We had no choice but to cease all operations at the Coolangatta campus in late 2024.

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​Impact on Our Students and Business

• 80 students were relocated to our Burleigh campus under strict visa compliance limits.

• We lost 87 students in early 2025, leading to an estimated $570,720 in lost revenue.

• We faced:

  • Additional costs in relocation, staffing, and expert reports

  • Four separate Fair Work complaints due to forced staff changes

  • Loss of key recruitment partners in Brazil, Japan, and Spain due to reputational damage

 

Our Legal Position

Under Section 43 of the Retail Shop Leases Act 1994 (Qld), our landlord is legally required to compensate us for:

• Failing to stop significant disruption to our business

• Delaying repairs for nearly a year

• Providing an unsafe, unusable commercial property

We are seeking over $577,000 in compensation and a full rent abatement for the periods we were unable to trade.

Despite these events, the landlord has demanded we “simply reopen” at the site. But with no students, no staff, and no operational base left, that is not commercially or ethically viable.

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Our Commitment Remains Strong

We have moved forward by focusing on our Burleigh Heads campus and continuing to serve our students with the same excellence and care we are known for. This situation has been challenging—but it has only reinforced our values of transparency, safety, and accountability.

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Thank you to our students, partners, and community for your ongoing support.