Opposition claims local companies being pushed out of new Women’s and Children’s Hospital project

The CFMEU’s “toxic Victorian agenda” has infiltrated one of SA’s largest infrastructure projects, the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

The CFMEU’s “toxic Victorian agenda” has infiltrated one of SA’s largest infrastructure projects, the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital, with claims that local companies have been pushed aside in favour of union-backed interstate firms.

But the state government has rejected the assertion and says at least 90 per cent of work on the project will go to locals.

Opposition infrastructure spokesman Ben Hood told state parliament the CFMEU was pressuring local builders to use Victorian subcontractors.

Opposition infrastructure spokesman, Ben Hood told state parliament the CFMEU was pressuiring local builders to use Victorian subscontractors. Picture: SA Government .

“Recently, the opposition spoke to a group of local SA employers who highlighted this trend on major government jobs, including the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital,” he said.

Mr Hood said the union preferred subcontractors that pay into workers’ entitlement scheme Incolink, which he said “gives the Victorian CFMEU tens of millions of dollars each year”.

“Rather than trying to pick off South Australian employers one by one and get them to pay into Incolink, just bring Victorian businesses who already do,” he said.

“It is quite a simple equation for the Victorian CFMEU. The more businesses that pay into Incolink and the higher the rate, the more money that ends up back in Victorian CFMEU coffers.”

Mr Hood said one company that the employers said has been “pushed hard by the Victorian CFMEU” was Vamp Cranes.

It is understood Vamp Cranes has not responded to any tenders for the WCH project, and has not been present on the project site though any sub-trades.

Mr Hood said one company that the employers said has been “pushed hard by the Victorian CFMEU” was Vamp Cranes. Picture: Kelly Barnes

A state government spokesman said the government has a clear policy that major construction projects employ local workers for at least 90 per cent of hours worked – “and the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital is no different”.

He said, as of November 28 2024, 23 of the 30 contracts entered into for the project were with South Australian businesses, with the value of those contracts totalling $96.26m – or 91.5 per cent of the total committed trade spend.

“We have long said that this Labor government has zero tolerance for criminal bikie activity, especially in government funded projects, and we will take whatever action is necessary to ensure the behaviour that is reported in VIC and NSW is not occurring in SA,” he said.

“Ben Hood should be celebrating the huge pipeline of major projects providing jobs and opportunities to South Australian workers, instead of perpetuating a political witch hunt in state parliament.”

CFMEU South Australian executive officer Travis Hera-Singh said: “I have been very clear that my commitment is to back in South Australian members and my office has been actively advocating for local business on SA projects”.

“If Mr Hood spent more time using his time in parliament to call on big builders to support local companies and South Australian jobs, rather than trying to score cheap political points, we might already be in a much better position,” he said.