Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has announced the Government will establish a complaints referral body as a single point of entry to receive and refer complaints relating to Victorian Government construction sites, following a damning review of the sector.
The Premier said all recommendations from the Formal Review into the Victorian Government Bodies’ Engagement with Construction Companies and Construction Unions, conducted independently by Greg Wilson – will be accepted either in principle or in full.
The review made eight recommendations about how the powers of Government bodies can be strengthened, so it can better respond to allegations of criminal and other unlawful behaviour.
“Criminal and unlawful behaviour has no place in Victoria’s construction industry, and I thank Mr Wilson for his work that will help us stamp it out,” said Premier Allan.
“Unions are meant to keep people safe – we are making sure that people coming forward with information about conduct on worksites have the complaints processes and protections they deserve.”
She said the Government accepts the review’s identification of labour hire as a “problematic area in relation to the allegations that led to this review”, as it provides a potential route for workers who may have been dismissed by one subcontractor to return under another.
The Labour Hire Authority’s (LHA) regulatory powers are set to be strengthened, including by expanding the fit and proper person test to include past indictable convictions, insolvencies, close association with an unfit or proper person or membership to criminal organisations. The Government will consult on these changes, the Premier confirmed.
Construction policies and contracts for Victorian Government-funded construction projects will include clauses that cover criminal or other unlawful conduct, requiring contractors to report and address suspected criminal or unlawful conduct on worksites and promote the new complaints referral body, the Government said in a statement.
It will also consult with the Federal Government to establish an alliance across state and federal law enforcement, regulators and other relevant entities to share information, coordinate action and inform government of emerging issues on construction sites.
The Premier established the Formal Review in July as part of a suite of actions in response to the allegations of criminal or unlawful conduct by the construction division of the CFMEU. The Review found that most relevant interventions sit with the Commonwealth in industrial relations and the CFMEU administration.
The measures Government is adopting aim to complement Commonwealth reforms and CFMEU changes, as well as actions already taken by the Government, which includes this year passing anti-bikie laws that make it easier to prevent certain individuals from associating with each other.
Mr Wilson’s recommendations and their impact will be evaluated two years following the delivery of this Review “to ensure these strong actions tear this rotten culture out by its roots”, the Premier said.
The Final Report and Government Response is available at https://www.vic.gov.au/formal-review-construction-companies-and-construction-unions.