Live: Victoria's Big Build royal commission gets underway

Public hearings for Victoria's royal commission examining allegations of corruption on government building sites have begun in Melbourne.It comes as the state's election campaign enters the final three-week stretch ahead of polling day on November 28.Follow our live coverage below.Mon 9 Nov 2026 at 10:38amMon 9 Nov 2026 at 10:38amThe central themes of the investigationMr Young lists what he calls "themes" of the royal commission's investigation into corruption on government work sites.He notes these are all allegations at this stage, and some have been denied.Among the themes, Mr Young says:Union delegates were placed on sites as health and safety representatives by the CFMEU, many of whom were unelectedLabour hire companies were used to place the delegates on sitesWork stoppages increased following the abolition and defunding of the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) by the federal Labor governmentContractors were left to handle issues themselves, and often resorted to "buying peace", pricing the cost of doing business into their bidsThe cost of these industrial disruptions was "shared with the state or pass to it"Mon 9 Nov 2026 at 10:31amMon 9 Nov 2026 at 10:31amWhat the royal commission has done so farCounsel assisting Chris Young KC covers what the royal commission has already uncovered in its preliminary work.Mr Young says more than 110,000 documents have already been requested by the commission, and hundreds of notices have been sent out.Secret hearings have also been held already, with witnesses interviewed in private.Mon 9 Nov 2026 at 10:30amMon 9 Nov 2026 at 10:30amThe Gap Road project in SunburyThe hearing today will examine the events of June 2022 at the Gap Road project in Sunbury.The project involved the removal of a level crossing and the construction of a new rail bridge and underpass as part of the Sunbury Line Upgrade.On June 6 and 7 in 2022, there was a work stoppage.After a meeting at the CFMEU offices on June 7, work resumed with control of the site transferred to the union.The royal commission will investigate what occurred, what arrangements were made, what they cost and what the government knew.The Gap Road project in Sunbury (Big Build Victoria)Mon 9 Nov 2026 at 10:12amMon 9 Nov 2026 at 10:12amThe political implications of the royal commissionEstablishing the royal commission was Ben Carroll's first act as premier, a move that distanced him from predecessor Jacinta Allan.But any hope the public would reward Carroll and Labor for calling the inquiry quickly evaporated.The government didn't receive a poll bounce from changing leaders — it thus seems unlikely voters will reward Labor over the next fortnight if hearings expose fresh corruption claims.The ABC's state political reporter Richard Willingham breaks it down in his analysis below:Mon 9 Nov 2026 at 9:52amMon 9 Nov 2026 at 9:52amThe royal commission explainedThe construction sites of the Victorian government's Big Build have become hotbeds for allegations of criminal wrongdoing, corruption and serious misconduct.The Victorian government has called a royal commission into the alleged corruption, with its first hearings to begin this week.To learn how we got here, head to our explainer below:Mon 9 Nov 2026 at 9:51amMon 9 Nov 2026 at 9:51amWelcome to our election blogGood morning!We're going to be bringing you live coverage every day in the lead up to the Victorian state election on November 28.And while political parties hit the campaign trail, the Big Build royal commission will begin its first block of public hearings today, exploring allegations of corruption on Victoria's public infrastructure projects.We'll bring you coverage from those hearings, as well as all the major political stories in the leadup to the state election.