Victoria launches commission hearings into Big Build — The Guardian

Two weeks of public hearings by the Royal Commission into the integrity of major state infrastructure and civil construction projects will begin on Monday in the Australian state of Victoria. Consideration of issues related to the Big Build program will take place amid the election campaign ahead of the state election scheduled for November 28.

As The Guardian reports, establishing the commission was the first decision of Victoria Premier Ben Carroll. At the same time, he has no influence over the hearing schedule or the list of people summoned. Carroll said he wanted to be a premier who delivers on integrity promises.

Claims about project management

Former Victorian ombudsman Deborah Glass, who held the position from 2014 to 2024, called the inquiry a necessary examination of a “shameful chapter in Victoria’s history.” According to her, Carroll showed political courage by initiating the commission, whose work may be painful for both his predecessors and the Labor Party.

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Planning expert William McDougall, who has five decades of experience working on Victorian government projects, said in a submission to the commission that Labor advisers may have influenced major projects without proper transparency and accountability. He claims that in the management of the Big Build, project announcements preceded analysis, dissent was not encouraged, and accountability was weakened. The government denies these claims, and the commission is to examine them.

First focus of the inquiry

The commission said that one of its first areas of focus would be the conduct of the CFMEU union on rail projects in Sunbury. In 2024, the then head of the Victorian branch of the CFMEU, John Setka, left his position after 12 years when a Nine investigation revealed a series of allegations of misconduct. These included claims that senior members of biker groups had been appointed as union delegates at Big Build sites.

A Roy Morgan poll conducted in August among 2,084 Victorian residents showed that corruption and integrity failures were the main factors that could prevent respondents from voting for Labor. The Labor Party also acknowledged that the Electrical Trades Union’s decision not to fund its election campaign could have negative consequences.