Child safety CEO abandoned creditors abroad before profiting from Queensland
Te Namu abandoned more than 70 creditors in New Zealand before Lighthouse became one of Queensland's biggest residential care providers.
Decades before his residential care company became a major provider in Queensland, Levi Te Namu walked away from more than 70 creditors overseas. In 2008, his New Zealand construction company Miden owed creditors more than $500,000 and left four houses unfinished.
Almost 20 years later, Te Namu founded Lighthouse Child and Family Services. The company quickly became one of Queensland's biggest residential care providers and won millions in state government contracts.
Meanwhile, Queensland's child safety system expanded dramatically. Children in residential care jumped from 650 in 2015 to over 2,800 by March 2026.
Government spending on residential care climbed to $1.12 billion in 2025, five times the 2015 level. Lighthouse faced scrutiny after a child with an intellectual disability alleged she was raped by a carer.
This sparked debate about who should profit from child safety services.
- more than 70
- Creditors abandoned
- more than 500,000 dollars
- Miden Construction debt
- 650
- Children in care 2015
- more than 2,800
- Children in care March 2026
Why it mattersThe story raises questions about oversight and accountability when public money funds for-profit residential care providers.
AustraliaQueensland's child safety sector has become a major profit centre for private operators, creating potential conflicts of interest in a system already strained by surging demand and state spending that has quintupled in a decade.
Corroborated bytheage.com.au
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 3 h ago
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