Victoria has launched a Royal Commission into the integrity of major public and civil infrastructure construction projects, with Premier Ben Carroll stating that "nobody is off limits" regarding potential witnesses. The commission, led by former South Australia chief justice Christopher Kourakis AC, will investigate allegations of corruption, criminal conduct, and serious misconduct within the state's "Big Build" program.
Carroll announced the probe on Thursday, following a special cabinet meeting, just 100 days before the state election. The terms of reference allow Kourakis to examine whether the executive government and delivery authorities adequately oversaw major construction projects. The commission can also explore the causes and impacts of any identified misconduct.
Former premiers Daniel Andrews and Jacinta Allan could be called to give evidence. Allan, who served as Minister for Transport and Infrastructure overseeing projects like the Suburban Rail Loop and Metro Tunnel, is expected to face scrutiny regarding her oversight of construction sites where corruption allegations have surfaced.
The announcement has drawn a strong reaction from the Liberal Party. Victorian Senator Jane Hume welcomed the inquiry, suggesting it could uncover broader issues of corruption and government spending. "I was pleased to see that Ben Carroll seems quite happy to throw his colleagues under a bus," Hume said. "I am looking forward to seeing Jacinta Allan and Daniel Andrews in the dock answering questions about how this level of corruption, this level of waste and this level of mismanagement could have been allowed to go on for so many years." Hume also raised concerns about whether federal taxpayer funds may have been improperly used, citing the Suburban Rail Loop project as an example. "What assurances has Anthony Albanese sought from the previous premier of Victoria and the current premier that no dollar of taxpayer money - federal taxpayer money - has been allowed to go into criminal conduct on these sites?"
Premier Carroll stated that establishing the commission and a special prosecutor, to be appointed in September, was his immediate priority after he replaced Jacinta Allan as premier on July 28. Allan had previously resisted calls for a probe into the state's $100 billion infrastructure program. A report by lawyer Geoffrey Watson SC estimated that taxpayers lost $15 billion due to corruption on state government construction projects.
The commission is scheduled to deliver its final report by August 20, 2027.