West Gate Tunnel workers to be laid off amid contamination dispute

More than 100 workers building Melbourne’s West Gate Tunnel are set to be made redundant in a fortnight amid a dispute over contaminated soil.

Workers at the West Gate Tunnel site. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

More than 100 workers building Melbourne’s West Gate Tunnel are set to be made redundant in a fortnight amid a dispute between the Andrews government and the consortium responsible for the project over contaminated soil.

Australian Workers' Union Victorian secretary Ben Davis confirmed consortium CPB Contractors and its partner company John Holland had told about 140 workers on Monday that their jobs would end in two weeks.

The redundancies come as Victorian Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan maintains that it is the responsibility of the construction companies and road toll company Transurban to manage the soil contamination issue, and the companies seek compensation and assistance to safely dispose of the soil from the government.

“This is yet another instance of commercial argy-bargy between big construction companies and their clients, not unlike what we saw with the Metro Rail Tunnel before Christmas,” Mr Davis said.

“Yet again construction workers are being used as cannon fodder.”

In December tunnel boring machines working on the $11bn Melbourne Metro rail project ground to a halt for several days, amid a dispute between the Andrews government and construction companies over cost blowouts.

Mr Davis said the union would do everything it could to work with CPB Contractors and John Holland to find the workers jobs on other projects, both in Victoria and interstate.

“CPB and John Holland, to give them credit, have said that they will do that, so we’ll be holding them to that,” Mr Davis said.

Ms Allan said the redundancies were “incredibly disappointing”.

“It’s a disappointing decision that’s being taken by the builder contracted by Transurban to deliver the West Gate Tunnel project, and I have every expectation of the builders and Transurban that over the next couple of weeks, that they use every opportunity to look at how these workers can be redeployed to a whole range of other projects that these builders are working on right across Victoria,” Ms Allan said.

The Minister said the government still expected Transurban and CPB Contractors to meet the project’s planned 2022 completion deadline.

“This (soil contamination) issue was identified through the planning process to deliver the West Gate Tunnel project, and as part of the contract it’s a requirement of Transurban and its builders to manage these issues, among many others, in delivering a project of the size and scale of the West Gate Tunnel project, and it’s the expectation of the government that Transurban and its builder will meet all the requirements set out in the contract that it has signed with the government,” Ms Allan said.

A spokeswoman for Transurban said works were continuing on the West Gate Tunnel project, with 4,000 people currently on the job and crews working around the clock, including on building new ramps and widening the West Gate Freeway.

“We're committed to delivering this project safely and as quickly as possible and are continuing to work with all project parties to finalise plans for tunnelling and spoil disposal,” the spokeswoman said.

“The CPB John Holland joint venture manages its workforce in line with its program of works to ensure they meet their obligations to deliver the West Gate Tunnel Project.”

State Coalition transport infrastructure spokesman David Davis accused Premier Daniel Andrews and Ms Allan of having “botched” the project.

“They should have known that there were issues with soil contamination given the construction is occurring in and around former industrial sites,” David Davis said.

“There were warnings as the environmental effects statement proceeded.

“The government needs to face up to the workers who have been laid off and tell them the truth.

“There’s one thing Victorians do know and it’s that Daniel Andrews can’t manage money and can’t manage projects.”

CPB Contractors and John Holland declined to comment.