A royal commission investigating major public infrastructure projects in Victoria has heard that a contractor on a troubled rail project was warned by a minister's office that it would not "have any more work" in the state if an industrial dispute was not resolved. The warning reportedly came after union officials shut down the project.
Peter Wilkinson, a former Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority (Vida) official, told the commission that his manager, Evan Tattersall, relayed the message from what Wilkinson assumed was the office of the then-minister for transport infrastructure, Jacinta Allan. Tattersall was reportedly referring to contractors John Holland and CPB Constructions.
Stephen Villella, who worked for CPB Constructions, told the commission that workers on the project were fearful of the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU). He also stated that none of the safety concerns raised by the union were serious enough to halt work.
The commission's November public hearings are focusing on a 2022 level crossing removal project at Gap Road in Sunbury and are scheduled to run until 20 November.