Bathla further work, materials and retentions

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Should I keep working on a Bathla project?

Only if you have the payment arrangement in writing first. Not because someone on site said it was sorted.

The answer is different for every contractor and every site, because funding now differs site by site. What does not change is this: the new work and your old invoices are two separate things. Agreeing to one does nothing about the other, and being owed money already is not a reason to take on more exposure.

This page cannot tell you whether your particular site has funding or authority to restart. The Bathla overview has the dated position, and Teneo’s official documents carry the company-specific instructions. A group-wide announcement does not answer a question about your contract.

What questions should I ask about a new work request?

Six, and get the answers in writing. If someone will not put them in writing, you have your answer.

Write down what was asked of you and what came back:

• Which legal company is asking for the work or materials?
• Who is authorising the order, and how can that authority be confirmed?
• What exact scope, site and start date are proposed?
• What rates, variations and payment terms are proposed?
• Who will receive and approve invoices for this new supply?
• Does the request address the existing debt, or is that being dealt with separately?

File the written confirmations with the order itself. If anyone points to a notice or an approval, ask for the actual document and check it names your company and this work. Knowing the site supervisor for six years is not a payment arrangement, however awkward that feels to say out loud.

ASIC draws a distinction between debts incurred under an administrator’s authority and debts that already existed. Whether your particular order falls on the right side of that line needs checking properly. ASIC guidance. None of that is a guarantee you will be paid for the work.

Can I collect tools or materials from a site?

Do not just turn up and take them, however clearly they are yours.

If you hire plant out, read the plant section of our security of payment guide as well. An unregistered interest in hired equipment can vest in the customer on administration, which is a bigger problem than the unpaid invoice.

Owning something does not settle whether you can enter the site or remove it during an administration. ASIC sets out restrictions on recovering property, and the exceptions depend on your particular rights. ASIC guidance. Getting this wrong can turn a straightforward claim into a dispute about your conduct.

What helps is an inventory, done properly: what the goods are, where they are, quantities, serial numbers, proof they are yours, and the contract or hire terms. Add delivery records and any security documents. Note whether anything has been installed, used or moved, and mark anything you are unsure about as unsure.

That list is preparation for a conversation. It is not permission to enter a site, remove property or enforce security. Confirm access and the right process before you act.

What should I gather about retentions?

The contract wording, the retention schedule, the payment certificates, what was withheld, and anything written about releasing it. Note any milestone or condition the documents mention.

Keep retentions on their own, away from ordinary overdue invoices. They are a different kind of money and an adviser needs to see which is which.

This page cannot tell you whether a particular Bathla retention is held in trust, secured, payable now or recoverable at all. Those answers live in your contract and the facts. The unpaid invoice guide covers organising the wider account without counting anything twice.

What should I avoid assuming?

Four things, and each of them costs subcontractors real money in situations like this.

• That a funding announcement says anything about your invoices. It does not. Those are separate questions with separate answers.
• That the old debt and a new order can be dealt with together. Understand both before you agree to either.
• That the group name is close enough. Your paperwork names one specific company, and that is the one that matters.
• That this page is telling you to stop work. It is not. Stopping, continuing and changing supply each carry contractual consequences, and which is right for you needs individual advice.

If someone approaches you promising to sort all this out for a large fee up front, that is not the help you need.

If a decision is time-sensitive, tell your adviser what is due and provide the underlying notice or contract. Do not assume that waiting for a return call suspends a deadline.

What if continuing or stopping would affect my own business?

Prepare the commercial picture as well as the contract questions: upcoming wages, supplier orders, expected receipts and work you have committed to elsewhere. The business cash-flow guide helps you organise those facts for a first conversation, without trying to diagnose your position.

Keep the questions in separate groups

Using separate notes prevents a conversation about a new order from obscuring an unresolved old account. Keep original emails and attachments with each topic.

How can I record a discussion without losing the detail?

Note the date, the person you spoke with, their role and what was said. Identify anything still awaiting confirmation. If you request written clarification, be precise about the company, site and proposed work. A note of a conversation is useful context, but it is not a substitute for checking authority or obtaining advice on the arrangement.

Review and limits

5 September 2026: checked Teneo’s public portal and ASIC general guidance. No new site-specific funding, supply authority, retention entitlement or property recovery right has been verified. This page provides questions to prepare, not instructions to exercise legal rights.