Victoria’s royal commission into allegations of corruption within the state’s construction sector is set to hold it’s first public hearing in Melbourne.
Commissioner Christopher Kourakis, a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of South Australia, will hold an opening hearing for the inquiry at 10am on Wednesday within the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.
It is expected commissioner Kourakis will lay out the scope of the inquiry during the hearing, which will also be live-streamed on the royal commission’s website.
Victorian Premier Ben Carroll announced the Royal Commission into the Integrity of Major Public and Civil Infrastructure Construction Projects last month, after promising to hold the probe the day he toppled former Premier Jacinta Allen in July.
“We are giving this royal commission the broadest, most extensive, wide-ranging powers. Full transparency, nothing is off limits,” Mr Carroll said.
“Victorians deserve answers and this royal commission will provide them.”
The announcement follows wide-ranging allegations of corruption and criminal conduct on major public construction projects within the state, including on the $100 billion Big Build infrastructure program.
The inquiry’s terms of reference, unveiled in August, task the commissioner with identifying the extent of corruption, examining the effectiveness of government oversight and producing recommendations to mitigate the risk of criminal conduct.
The $50 million inquiry will deliver it’s findings by August 20 next year unless it is extended.
The Victorian government is also creating an Office of the Special Prosecutor to pursue any potential charges stemming from the royal commission.
According to the royal commission’s website, hearings will be held in public and live-streamed online unless the commissioner determines a part of the hearing should be private.
