CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS – VICTORIA

Allan government blocks Big Build document release

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 15-Apr-26

The Victorian government has been criticised for blocking the bulk of a freedom of information request for documents pertaining to corruption on the ‘Big Build’ project. Liberal MP David Davis sought access to documents covering the period from 2020 to 2025. The Department of Premier & Cabinet identified a total of 1,082 pages of such documents, but only 132 pages were released; some of these were partially redacted, and were restricted to documents created after July 2024. Davis says the suppression of documents is "outrageous" and it is not credible that Premier Jacinta Allan’s own department is blocking the release of information that is clearly in the public interest.

CORPORATES
VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF VICTORIA

CFMEU faces bankruptcy from lawsuit

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 3-Jul-17

The Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union and several of its senior officials have been served with a writ in the Victorian Supreme Court. The writ relates to a failed apartment project on the site of Pentridge prison in Melbourne’s north, with the writ alleging that the CFMEU used illegal coercion and threats that caused delays that led to the project’s failure. The value of the writ is potentially as high as $A150 million, a sum that could bankrupt the union if the case went against it.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, SUPREME COURT OF VICTORIA, WEST HOMES AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BORAL LIMITED – ASX BLD, GROCON PTY LTD, PENTRIDGE VILLAGE PTY LTD

Denials wear thin as evidence mounts

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ben Schneiders
The Age – Page: 5 : 14-Oct-15

Melbourne’s EastLink tollroad project was finished well ahead of schedule, but evidence presented to the trade union royal commission demonstrates that industrial peace came at a cost. Julian Rzesniowiecki was a senior executive at Thiess John Holland, who kept records showing that the Australian Workers’ Union had proposed that Thiess pay $A300,000 for one union organiser to be on site. The proposal was put forward by current Opposition Leader Bill Shorten in his capacity as head of the AWU. He had initially proposed that Thiess pay for four AWU members to be on site for the life of the project.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, THIESS JOHN HOLLAND, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY