Work on the multimillion-dollar Eagle Farm Racecourse redevelopment is yet to resume two months after the tragic death of two workers, with subcontractors owed hundreds of thousands of dollars.
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Two small business owners say they could be out of business before Christmas, blaming claimed debts of more than $100,000 each to one of the project's major contractors, Landfill Logistics.
The Brisbane Racing Club and principal contractor Criscon stepped in to pay small amounts to some contractors directly but it's understood they were refusing to foot the bill a second time for money already paid to earthworks company.
BRC CEO Dave Whimpey said he was sympathetic but the club had paid every submitted claim and had no contract with the embattled company.
"The BRC's only contract is with Criscon. All claims submitted by Criscon to the BRC have been paid," he said in a statement.
Two companies not related to the $37 million infield stabling development have already launched bids to send Landfill Logistics to the liquidators, leaving several business owners worried they'll never be paid.
A handful of frustrated subcontractors gathered out the front of the course ahead of racing on Saturday, dressed in orange, carrying signs and chanting for action.
They said their debts stretched back months before work halted on the $37 million project in October, following the deaths of Ashley Morris and Umberto Leite.
Fairfax Media does not suggest Landfill Logistics played any role in the deaths.
Protest organiser Barry Mitchell said his company, BM Earthmoving, was owed $63,000 and as many as a dozen other subcontractors were out of pocket.
When Fairfax Media questioned Landfill Logistics director Wayne Innes about the claims on Sunday, he said he couldn't "say anything" because of a legal process, before hanging up the phone.
"They can say whatever they like," he said.
"The truth is that there's money that's there ready for them to be collected.
"It has to go through the principal contractor. The principal contractor is Criscon.
"It's got nothing to do with Landfill. Landfill has apportioned it, ok, thank you-"
A senior figure at Criscon didn't return multiple calls on Sunday.
Dawn Hyland said she and her husband's company, Barry Hyland Earthmoving, was owed $155,000 for six months of earthworks - trenching, pipe laying, plumbing and earthworks.
"We've been going 20 years and to see this job wind us up, it's just about at that stage," she said.
"We're struggling to keep our head above water.
"It's very grim."
Mark Andrews claimed a debt of $200,000 for his business from six months' work on a still-uncompleted section of the project.
The CJM Constructions boss said his business was going down and his workers' jobs with it.
"All those people will be on the dole line on Christmas Eve, because I have to close my business," he said.
"We can't survive. We're only a small family business, employ eight people, my wife and myself run it, and can't survive."
Both contractors accused Criscon and BRC of giving them false hope and enticing them back to the job by making small payments, saying they were led to believe the larger entities had taken over landfill's debt.
Criscon carried out a safety audit after the October deaths and BRC requested some additions be made after seeing a detailed report, Mr Whimpey said.
He said provisional approval had been granted for production to restart.
"Criscon will decide when construction resumes but the BRC expects that it could happen this week," he said.
