THE QBCC NEEDS TO ADDRESS THE CONDUCT OF THEIR STAFF AND LICENSEE'S. THIS IS JUST ONE CASE THAT HAS BEEN REPORTED UNDER PUBLIC INTEREST.
WHERE IS THE PROTECTION FOR HOMEOWNERS?
Stella McKenna from the Courier Mail reports 11 July 2026 that the;
Top building watchdog manager faces 44 charges over alleged taxpayer fraud. A senior Queensland IT manager has been charged with fraud after allegedly stealing hundreds of thousands in taxpayer funds while living it up with luxury cars, home renos, and family holidays.
Troy Herbert Hampel, 53, faces 44 charges following a major police investigation into his time working at the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC). Police allege in court documents that Hampel used his senior position as manager of IT operations to swindle hundred of thousands from Queensland taxpayers over almost two and a half years, beginning in October 2023.
Hampel’s charges include 22 counts of fraud (dishonest application of property of another by employee), nine counts of forgery, nine counts of uttering, and four counts of stealing by a person in the public service.
Police will allege the 53-year-old fraudulently used a credit card belonging to his employer between from the end 2023 and October, 2025. Following investigations, officers executed a search warrant at an address on Catherine Street, Birkdale on February 3 and arrested the Birkdale man. The alleged fraud was reported to police in January this year.
Mr Hampel was appointed to lead the QBCC’s IT operations in 2019. Hampel’s social media spruiks a lavish lifestyle including a $20,000 inflatable day boat, high-end four-wheel drives, dirt bikes, and family fishing trips to Hamilton Island and K’gari.
Property records show his four-bedroom, four-bathroom Birkdale home was purchased for $1.4 million in 2024, before being sold last month for an undisclosed sum. QBCC CEO and Commissioner Angelo Lambrinos confirmed Hampel had been stood down, but refused to confirm the amount of money that was allegedly stolen from the body.
“The sum of the loss in relation to these allegations remains the subject of further investigation,” Mr Lambrinos said.
“The Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) is committed to the highest standards of integrity and accountability.
“The QBCC has a zero tolerance to fraud and corruption.
“If someone deliberately acts outside the law, we will address it swiftly and proactively,” he said, speaking generally.
According to court documents, Hampel “dishonestly applied to his own use” property belonging to the QBCC. The prosecution alleges his fraudulent activity spanned multiple locations, including his home, his workplace, Carindale Shopping Centre, Woolworths, and several JB Hi-Fi stores.
The stealing charges relate to four corporate mobile phones provided by the QBCC, which police allege he kept for personal use throughout the duration of his scheme. During a raid on Hampel’s bayside residence in February, police also allegedly uncovered a hydroponic grow tent kit used to grow cannabis.
Real estate images the Birkdale home. He was subsequently hit with additional charges of producing a dangerous drug, possessing dangerous drugs, and possessing property suspected of being used in a drug offence.
Following the criminal investigation, the QBCC confirmed Hampel and another staff member had been stood down.
“The QBCC is aware of charges that involve two former staff members who exited the organisation in March and April 2026, and has provided all necessary assistance to relevant legal authorities in relation to this matter,” Mr Lambrinos said.
“The QBCC is unable to comment further while the matter is before the legal system.”
The second employee worked under Hampel as an IT service desk and records officer. They were initially charged with fraud-related offences and faced Cleveland Magistrate court, however the case was recently dismissed in the Brisbane Magistrates Court due to a lack of prosecution evidence. Troy Herbert Hampel on a fishing trip Hampel has appeared in the Cleveland Magistrates Court multiple times since his February arrest.
He is scheduled to return to court later this month.
This investigation comes after years of scandals for the QBCC including multiple high-profile exits from the board in 2025. In 2022, an independent review by framework expert Jim Varghese AM revealed the QBCC’s culture was profoundly dysfunctional, plagued by high executive turnover and structural operational issues, prompting a massive government-mandated overhaul of its board and core functions.
The review made 17 recommendations to the regulatory body that were undertaken in the following years. The QBCC serves as the state’s building industry watchdog, tasked with licensing tradespeople, upholding safety standards, and resolving building disputes.
“Under the leadership of a new Board and new Commissioner, the QBCC is committed to being a trusted, transparent and independent regulator that protects consumers and promotes confidence, strengthens regulatory capabilities and services and delivers organisational excellence in line with our strategy and objectives,” Mr Lambrinos said.
“The QBCC has strengthened governance, fraud and corruption controls to address this kind of historical risk.”