12:00a.m. 24th July 2008

| By Carolyn Tucker

Joshua Hunt in the black limo which was bought to offer courtesy transport for his restaurant patrons. Photo: Lou O'Brien/144701b

Self-styled entrepreneur Joshua Hunt, who has been touted as the Sunshine Coast’s answer to Richard Branson, is locked in a battle with the tax office which is threatening to wind up his riverside restaurant.

The Deputy Commissioner of Taxation started proceedings to wind up Hunt by the River Pty Ltd on July 2 and has filed a series of affidavits in the Federal Court.

A hearing has been set down for the end of this month but a relaxed Mr Hunt told the Daily he was confident the matter would be resolved.

The ubiquitous businessman has made headlines in recent years for flashing his cash. He purchased Fitzroy Island in late 2006, shouted his staff to a holiday in Fiji in February 2007 and lodged plans to build a six-star hotel in Mooloolaba last November.

Mr Hunt was dismissive yesterday about the application to wind up his company, saying it stemmed from a dispute over how much he owed the tax office and he was happy to let a judge decide the figure.

“It’s nothing really – I’m not concerned,” he said.

“That’s the way the tax office gets your attention; it’s the normal process but it’s all being dealt with.

“We’ll let the judge decide and if they come back and say this is the tax you are obligated to pay, then we’ll pay it.”

Mr Hunt said he was not “100% certain” of the figure in dispute, adding that he paid professionals to handle his tax affairs.

“I don’t pretend to be an accountant, nor do I want to be – we pay people to deal with these things and hope they do it properly,” he said.

Mr Hunt said he “certainly hoped” the doors of his restaurant in Duporth Street would still be open on August 1, particularly when he had pledged the food income for a month to the Sunshine Coast Therapy Centre.

“That will be starting the second weekend in August and it would be a real shame if the tax office got in the way,” he said.

Mr Hunt moved to the Sunshine Coast a decade ago, opened Hunt by the River in 2005 and established the Hunt “brand”.

A report in the Daily in 2005 suggested he intended to open up to 10 restaurants bearing his name within 12 months, and the Hunt Group website refers to plans to franchise the business.

Mr Hunt is currently developing a resort on Fitzroy Island and said construction was expected to be completed in about eight weeks.

He is also a high-profile member of Kings Christian Church, headed by pastor Steve Penny, and the development arm of Mr Hunt’s business empire, Hunt Property Group, was project manager for the $10 million Kings International Training Institute.

Former chairman of the Christian-based Family First party, Jeff Penny, is a member of the Hunt Property Group Board, and Mr Hunt’s wife, Paula, stood as the Family First candidate for Fairfax in the 2004 Federal election.

According to the Hunt Group website, Joshua Hunt’s business interests also extend to fashion, with plans to launch his own label, and consulting, where he offers business training programs and motivational CDs.

In an interview with the Daily in 2005, he said the secret to his success was simple.

“My business philosophy is you have to enjoy life,” he said.