Overview

The first public hearing of Victoria's Royal Commission (the Commission) into the Integrity of Major Public and Civil Infrastructure Construction Projects was held on 23 September 2026 before Commissioner the Honourable Christopher Kourakis AC and set the foundations for what is expected to be an expansive inquiry.

The opening hearing provided an early indication of the inquiry's direction: a focus on systemic failures across the procurement and delivery of major infrastructure projects, rather than solely the conduct of individuals. It was noted that one of the purposes of the Commission is to rebuild trust in the integrity of construction in Victoria.

The Commissioner emphasised that, although this was the first public hearing, the Commission’s work commenced shortly after its establishment and that it had already conducted a number of closed hearings to obtain information to guide its inquiries. Two blocks of public hearings will occur before the end of the year, with the first block to be concluded by mid-November 2026.

The scale of the Commission's task is significant. The inquiry extends to all major construction projects including the Big Build and will involve hearing from people working in the construction industry, union officials, politicians and public servants. The Commissioner indicated that the Big Build alone covers more than 100 major projects with a combined value of approximately $150bn, spanning rail, road, health and community safety infrastructure. Expenditure appears to be a key focus of the inquiry. Counsel Assisting the Commission referred to media reporting estimating that alleged misconduct associated with the Big Build may have cost Victorian taxpayers up to $15bn, while observing that those figures remain to be properly tested.

Governance and accountability in focus

The Commission's mandate extends beyond identifying instances of corruption, criminal conduct and serious misconduct. A recurring theme of the opening hearing was whether existing contractual, procurement, governance and regulatory frameworks were capable of identifying and addressing known risks and why recommendations arising from previous inquiries may not have prevented similar allegations from re-emerging.

For organisations and individuals involved in major projects, the Commission’s inquiries will focus on establishing what was known, when it was known, who knew it and what was done in response. This includes examining any instances of plausible deniability by those who may have benefited from alleged corruption but failed to take steps to prevent or address it.

Key takeaways

The opening hearing sends several clear signals for those connected to Victoria's major construction projects:

1. Broad reach: The Commission's powers extend well beyond unions and alleged bad actors. Executive government, ministers, delivery authorities, contractors, subcontractors, unions, labour hire firms, suppliers and ‘fixers’ also fall within the scope of the Commission’s inquiry. No category of participant is exempt from scrutiny.
2. Systems under scrutiny: Participants should expect scrutiny not only of the alleged misconduct itself, but also whether the contractual, procurement, governance and reporting frameworks surrounding major projects were adequate to identify, escalate and respond to reported risks.
3. Document preservation and production: Parties should ensure robust document retention practices are in place and that documents are produced promptly in response to a Notice to Produce. As Commissioner Kourakis observed, in the digital era, documents that may no longer exist in one location will often be located in other locations through digital records and digital iterations. Participants should carefully preserve project records, including PCG and site meeting minutes, Aconex records, project correspondence, cost reports and other project management documentation.
4. Early engagement is advantageous: Commissioner Kourakis encouraged early voluntary disclosures and submissions from any person with an understanding of underlying issues the Commission is tasked to investigate. Parties with information relevant to the Commission’s work should consider engaging with the Commission sooner rather than later.

Next steps

While much of the evidence remains to be gathered and tested, the opening hearing provides a clear indication that the Commission will look beyond allegations of misconduct on project sites and examine the governance, oversight and decision-making frameworks that shaped project delivery.

Organisations involved in Victoria's major projects should view the inquiry as more than an investigation into historical allegations. It is shaping up to be a significant examination of integrity and accountability across the infrastructure sector, with potential implications for procurement practices, contract administration, reporting obligations and risk governance frameworks.

As the Commission's work progresses, project participants should continue monitoring developments and consider whether their governance, compliance and record-keeping practices would withstand similar scrutiny.