New corruption claims surface on Big Build project

1 hour ago 1

Fresh allegations of corruption have emerged involving a senior worker on one of the Victorian government’s major Big Build projects, the $26 billion North East Link.

The Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority (VIDA) on Tuesday confirmed it had referred the case to police.

Victoria’s North East Link road project.

“We have zero tolerance for any sort of illegal behaviour – anyone with information about alleged misconduct on our worksites should come forward so it can be referred to the appropriate authority,” a spokesperson said.

A source with knowledge of the project confirmed a contractor had been stood down on an unrelated matter before the latest allegations caused a probe to be widened.

Victoria Police confirmed they had received a referral over the matter, which Seven News reported related to claims 159 workers were asked to pay $5000 in exchange for guaranteed and ongoing employment at the site.

“The information is being assessed and as such, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time,” police said.

The Seven News report also revealed that Victoria Police’s Taskforce Hawk is looking into serious allegations of corrupt behaviour by a contractor on the project.

Seven News reported that the contractor at the centre of the corruption allegations has since been stood down.

The VIDA said the allegations had not been previously reported to it and that it has now referred the allegations to police for investigation.

Last year, Victoria Police formed Taskforce Hawk in response to the Building Bad investigation by this masthead, The Australian Financial Review and 60 Minutes, which exposed widespread criminality within the construction industry, including bashings, firebombings and intimidation tactics.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan at the North-East Link road project in June.

Last week, this masthead revealed in an unrelated incident that a military veteran, who assists struggling ex-soldiers in securing jobs on the North East Link, alleges he was coerced into paying a figure with gangland ties to gain access to the $26 billion government project.

Former soldier Daniel Salter is the first subcontractor on the Victorian government’s Big Build program to publicly detail the alleged corruption permeating the North East Link, a project also receiving billions in federal government funding.

Salter claimed the situation effectively shut out marginalised workers, including veterans with PTSD, from securing meaningful employment opportunities, instead favouring individuals with insider connections.

The 10-kilometre North East Link, designed to connect the Eastern Freeway in Bulleen with the Metropolitan Ring Road at Greensborough, is projected to remove 15,000 trucks from suburban streets and cut travel times by 30 minutes.

The toll road has been plagued by significant budget blowouts. Initially estimated at $10 billion in 2016, the cost was reassessed to $15 billion in 2019, with the most recent estimate in December 2023 soaring to $26 billion – more than double the original price tag. The project is expected to open in 2028.

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.