Overview
- Premier Jacinta Allan acknowledged Kevin Devlin privately warned her in June 2023 about anecdotal claims of criminal behaviour on Big Build sites and says she ordered agency and Department of Transport inquiries before writing to the Victoria Police chief commissioner.
- The government says those inquiries found no evidence of systemic wrongdoing, while Victoria Police’s Operation Hawk, launched after the 2024 Building Bad investigation, has since laid dozens of charges.
- Allan continues to reject calls for a royal commission, drawing renewed criticism from the opposition, which argues warnings were not heeded.
- A 2023 Spark consortium briefing claimed CFMEU disruption delayed North East Link tunnelling by up to two months, but Allan says the claims are incorrect and attributes cost increases to scope changes and global inflation, with completion still targeted for 2028.
- Confidential Transport Australia board discussions referenced a 30% premium linked to lawlessness and wrongdoing, Geoffrey Watson SC has estimated losses at about 15%, and a Queensland inquiry is compelling the peak body to produce its board materials.