The Guardian
· collected 2026-09-23 · by Benita Kolovos Victorian state correspondent
The first public hearing of Victoria’s Big Build royal commission revealed that former minister Jacinta Allan was aware of allegations involving criminals and bikies on state construction sites as early as June 2023. Two confidential briefings from the Major Transport Infrastructure Authority detailed concerning behavior, including the presence of known criminals and motorcycle club members at worksites, which Allan reported to Victoria’s police commissioner shortly after receiving them. The inquiry, valued at $150 billion, aims to investigate corruption and misconduct on major infrastructure projects such as the North East Link ($26.1bn) and Metro Tunnel ($13.5bn).
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-23,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The Big Build royal commission in Victoria opened its first public hearing on Wednesday, focusing on alleged corruption within government construction projects. Former South Australian chief justice Chris Kourakis, appointed to lead the inquiry with a budget of $50 million, emphasized his commitment to an exhaustive investigation during an August briefing.
Confidential documents from June 21, 2023, revealed that then-transport minister Jacinta Allan was aware of serious concerns regarding union tactics and potential criminal infiltration on taxpayer-funded projects. These allegations include issues such as organized crime figures appearing at construction sites and the presence of outlaw motorcycle gang members.
The inquiry, which covers infrastructure worth an estimated $150 billion, has already conducted closed hearings following its launch in August. It aims to address a range of issues including the extent of corruption on major projects, the effectiveness of government oversight, and actions taken by contractors to mitigate risks. Notably, former premier Allan will be required to give evidence as part of the inquiry.
The opening hearing underscored the significance of this investigation for Victoria's construction sector, indicating that key figures from both current and previous administrations may face scrutiny during subsequent hearings.
Written for “Big Build Royal Commission Opens” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 4 other(s) covering the same event.
The opening public hearing of the royal commission into Victoria’s Big Build has shown Jacinta Allan knew of allegations the construction union allowed criminals and bikies on to state projects as early as 2023.
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union → open → 2023
It was also revealed that the inquiry – officially named the royal commission into the Integrity of Major Public and Civil Infrastructure Construction – held “closed” hearings following its launch in August, and plans to hold public hearings during the November state election campaign.
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inquiry → reveal → campaign
During Wednesday’s hearing, two confidential briefings written by the same four public servants from the Major Transport Infrastructure Authority and Department for Transport were tendered.
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briefings → write → Transport
Both were dated 21 June 2023, when Allan was the minister for transport infrastructure.
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Allan → date → infrastructure
The first briefing, which Allan did not sign, warned that the industrial relations environment on MTIA projects had become “highly challenging,” with an increase in “concerning behaviour” that could “significantly impact project costs and schedule”.
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that → sign → costs
This included the construction union “pressuring” contractors to agree to additional staff and the use of certain people and companies “in order to avoid industrial disputation”, as well as “potential criminal elements (for example outlaw motorcycle club members and convicted criminals) being present” on worksites.
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elements → include → worksites
The existence of this letter was reported by the Age the day before Allan lost the Labor leadership to Ben Carroll, and she denied having read it.
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she → report → it
The second briefing, however, was signed by Allan on 22 June and included allegations that Toby Mitchell, a former member of the Mongols motorcycle club, had been present on a construction site, along with known members of the Bandidos and “known ex-criminals” including some wearing ankle bracelets.
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Mitchell → sign → bracelets
It also mentioned that a “person was recently shot with a bolt gun off site but in a work context”, though “this did not break the skin.”
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this → mention → skin
Allan referred the allegations to then Victoria police commissioner Shane Patton on 23 June 2023, stating in a letter tendered to the royal commission: “Given that this issue has been raised with me and the potential seriousness of possible criminal activity in worksites operated by contracted providers on major infrastructure projects.
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issue → refer → projects
I feel dutybound to also raise this matter directly with you”.
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I → feel → you
The documents reveal that Allan was aware of allegations of corruption on government sites a year before Nine newspapers’ investigation.
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Allan → reveal → investigation
Counsel assisting the commissioner, Chris Young KC, stated that Allan would have “every opportunity to respond” during the course of the inquiry.
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Allan → assist → inquiry
The inquiry has been tasked with investigate allegations of corruption, criminal conduct and serious misconduct on the $150bn pipeline of Big Build projects, including the $26.1bn North East Link, $13.5bn Metro Tunnel, $10.2bn West Gate Tunnel and $15bn worth of level crossing removals.
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inquiry → task → removals
Christopher Carr SC, also counsel assisting the commissioner, said their work would also include a “careful economic analysis” of how much taxpayer money had been lost to corruption.
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money → assist → corruption
He said that a figure of $15bn had become “notorious,” though it was “little more than back of the envelope guesstimates”.
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it → say → guesstimates
However, Carr noted a 2026 report that Allan signed off on an $837m payment to settle a construction consortium claim that included $200m for excess labour, which “had not truly been required … [but] had paid for because of a lack of government assistance or influence in pushing back against union demands for excess labour”.
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which → note → labour
He said this suggested “the costs of corruption might indeed be measured in multiple billions of dollars”.
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costs → say → dollars
Commissioner Christopher Kourakis revealed that the inquiry had already conducted several closed hearings to obtain “sensitive information” that, if disclosed early, would have “compromised the commission’s ongoing investigations” – but vowed to hold as many in public as possible.
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that → reveal → public
He said they would leave “no stone unturned in search for whatever is hidden, or whomever lurks underneath it” and said that the inquiry would pursue “everyone” suspected of being complicit in the abuse of power and “refer for prosecution whoever is implicated by the evidence the commission receives”.
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commission → say → evidence
Kourakis put unions, construction consortiums, subcontractors and the government all on notice.
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Kourakis → put → notice
“There should be no place in government or the industry or on its fringes for those persons whose moral compass malfunctions,” he said.
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he → malfunction → persons
Wednesday’s hearing also revealed that two blocks of public hearings would be held before the end of the year, with the first concluding in mid-November, during the state election campaign.
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first → reveal → campaign
“The commission’s work will not stop for the election and it will not be shaped by it,” Young said.
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Young → stop → it
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