ASIC moves to wind up Derrimut Gym business

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has issued a notice of application for a winding up order for an entity in the Derrimut gym group.

Commenced by the Deputy Commissioner of Taxation on 25th June, the winding up order is against A.C.N. 139 283 104 Pty Ltd (formerly known as Derrimut Health & Fitness Pty Ltd).

Return to Work SA, Melbourne United Basketball and Fitness Equipment Pty Ltd are listed as creditors supporting the wind-up application, which will be heard in the Federal Court in Melbourne on 22nd August.

The wind-up order comes after the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) lodged a separate Federal Court application in April alleging the fitness chain owed more than $14.6 million in unpaid taxes.

The ATO then filed a Victorian County Court claim in June suing the chain’s owner Nikolaos Solomos for $11.3 million, including more than $250,000 is in superannuation, $5 million in GST payment, $4.6 million Pay As You Go (PAYG) and $1.4 million personal income tax.

In April this year, ASIC also initiated the deregistration of another Derrimut entity, 665 Derrimut Pty Ltd.

Australasian Leisure Management is aware of at least eight registered businesses within the troubled Derrimut gym group.

Adelaide's The Advertiser reported on Thursday that former members of the chain’s Angle Vale branch are chasing promised membership refunds after Derrimut 24:7 was evicted from the site by a landlord over about $220,000 of unpaid rent.

Derrimut 24:7 Gym had previously reassured Angle Vale members that a new branch at nearby Munno Para would open soon.

However, as of last week, a notice was posted on the unopened Munno Para gym’s doors saying the chain’s tenancy had been terminated because of more than $54,000 owed to the landlord.

The chain had been selling pre-sale memberships for the gym for almost a year, first saying on Instagram it would open in December 2024.

This title has also learnt that Derrimut Gym Shepparton, one of the group's flagship Victorian sites, has now permanently closed. Planet Fitness is set to open a new club in the premises at 290 Benella Road in Shepparton.

Image: The now closed Derrimut Gym Shepparton.