One killed in Kilmore trench collapse

A man has been killed in a trench collapse near the power substation in Kilmore with emergency services on scene.

Families of workers at the construction site of a new housing development in Kilmore have arrived at the scene in tears after a man was killed in a trench collapse.

The partner of one of the men on the site 75km north of Melbourne said everyone involved was “in shock”.

Almost a dozen emergency services vehicles were called to Quinns Rd, understood to be the site of a new housing development, on Friday morning.

A Victoria Police spokesman said police would prepare a report for the coroner following the death.

“Emergency services were called to a worksite on Quinns Rd about 11.30am following reports of an industrial accident,” he said.

“A man died at the scene.”

Emergency services at the scene where a worker died in a trench collapse on Friday morning. Picture: 7NEWS

WorkSafe will investigate the incident.

The Herald Sun understands work on the trench was not electrical in nature and was related to pipes carrying water.

Fire Rescue Victoria on site at a fatal trench collapse close to a power substation along Quinns Rd. Kilmore. Picture: Ian Currie

A new housing development is being built on Quinns Rd, which the Herald Sun understands the pipes may have been being laid for.

The 60ha development by Chinese-Australian real estate investor-developer Jinding, named Broadstead, advertises as offering the “very best of country living”.

It’s planned with 536 sites in total, with a playground, and sports ovals and a school have also been put forward along with more lots for sale in the future.

Of the initial release, 61 lots have been sold, with 11 still for sale and 53 lots planned for future sale.

Construction earthworks — contracted to national civil construction company Winslow —began in September last year, with title registrations expected in July.

In January, Winslow entered into an enforceable undertaking after a worker was crushed under fallen traffic management barriers and fencing, sustaining serious injuries at a Carrum Downs job site.

Jinding and Windslow were contacted for comment.

A new housing development, called Broadstead, is being built on Quinns Rd. Picture: Artists’ impression.

The CFA, SES and Ambulance Victoria were among those called to the scene, but they referred all media inquiries to Victoria Police.

A WorkSafe Victoria spokesman said WorkSafe had been notified of the incident.

“We’ve got inspectors and investigators responding,” the spokesman said.

A man has been killed in a trench collapse in Kilmore. Picture: 7News

The new development is opposite the Kilmore South Zone Substation.

In March, AusNet announced it was spending $18m to build a new power substation in Kilmore to provide extra network capacity for growth in the town and in nearby Wallan.

It also announced a further $8m over two years for upgrades to insulated conductors in high bushfire prone areas within the Mitchell Shire — where Kilmore is located.

A report put out by the power company in January stated the substation, which was first built in 1966 and received upgrades in 1967 and 2011, had “deteriorated” and were “presenting an increasing failure risk”.

It recommended replacing parts of the substation, but did not include any “sub-transmission and distribution feeders entering and exiting the zone substation” in its scope.

The substation services about 7000 properties but there are no reported outages according to AusNet’s website.

According to WorkSafe Victoria, the latest incident takes the 2025 workplace death toll to 27, compared to 25 this time last year.

Last month, a dad from Melbourne’s north was remembered as the “light in every room” with a “big heart” by heartbroken loved ones after his tragic worksite death.

Ryan Mackinnon, 44, died from his injuries in hospital after a fatal incident at a worksite in West Melbourne April 29, with Mr Mackinnon passing on May 1.

Ryan Mackinnon has been described as the "light in every room" after his tragic death at a worksite in West Melbourne. Picture: GoFundMe

In 2020, the government brought in industrial manslaughter laws, making Victoria the fourth Australian jurisdiction to criminalise workplace negligence leading to death.

Under the laws, individuals can be jailed for up to 20 years and organisations fined up to $16.5m if found guilty of not providing a safe workplace for their employees which led to their death.

In 2024, dodgy Victorian businesses forked out more than $13m in fines for safety breaches last year, with more than a third relating to workplace deaths.

Companies in the construction and manufacturing injury were the hardest hit as Victoria’s courts dished out a total of $13.3m in fines and costs for OH&S breaches last year.

Of the total fines, nearly $5m and 12 prosecutions imposed were related to fatalities on the job.

Laith Hanna was the first person to plead guilty under the new laws. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

LH Holding Management was the first company convicted under the state’s workplace manslaughter laws after the death of 25-year-old subcontractor Michael Tsahrelias who was crushed at a Somerton factory in October 2021.

The company was fined $1.3m in relation to the incident.

Laith Hanna, the sole director and shareholder of the stonemasonry business, also pleaded guilty to a charge of being an officer of a company that committed workplace manslaughter and was sentenced to a two-year community corrections order with 200 hours of community service.

He was also ordered to pay Mr Tsahrelias’ sister $120,000 in compensation.

In 2018, concreters Jack Brownlee, 21, and Charlie Howkins, 34, were killed at a Ballarat worksite when the trench they were working in collapsed on top of them.

Charlie Howkins, 34, and Jack Brownlee, 21, died when the trench they were working in collapsed in March 2018.

The company in charge, Pipecon, was fined $550,000 and convicted in the Ballarat County Court after pleading guilty to a single charge of failing to provide supervisions.

And in August of the same year, 32-year-old worker Andrew Wahlert died on the job in Wallan after he fell down a 6m trench.

There were at least two other workers within 10m of him but no one saw him fall.

In 2021, Kilmore construction company Crowley Excavation was fined $360,000 by the Melbourne County Court after pleading guilty to failing to provide a safe workplace.