Tuesday, 20 September 2022
Adjournment
Pipecon
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Table of contents
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Bills
- Environment Legislation Amendment (Circular Economy and Other Matters) Bill 2022
- Justice Legislation Amendment (Police and Other Matters) Bill 2022
- Justice Legislation Amendment (Sexual Offences and Other Matters) Bill 2022
- Mental Health and Wellbeing Bill 2022
- Residential Tenancies, Housing and Social Services Regulation Amendment (Administration and Other Matters) Bill 2022
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Bills
- Environment Legislation Amendment (Circular Economy and Other Matters) Bill 2022
- Justice Legislation Amendment (Police and Other Matters) Bill 2022
- Justice Legislation Amendment (Sexual Offences and Other Matters) Bill 2022
- Mental Health and Wellbeing Bill 2022
- Residential Tenancies, Housing and Social Services Regulation Amendment (Administration and Other Matters) Bill 2022
Pipecon
Mr MEDDICK (Western Victoria) (17:53): (2128) My matter this evening is for the Minister for Local Government, and the action I seek is that she investigate whether proper procurement processes were followed by the City of Ballarat in the awarding of a $2 million contract to a company that was convicted of killing two workers and is under investigation by the DPP for killing a third. Pipecon killed Charlie Howkins and Jack Brownlee in 2018, and just two years later, in 2020, another worker died working for Pipecon. The timing of the contract coincided with the announcement in Ballarat of the government’s fair jobs code, a document that specifically seeks to ensure the safety compliance and record of companies who wish to win contracts funded by public money. The City of Ballarat’s decision flies in the face of the principles of the code. Further, the council’s own procurement policy states that the OH&S schedule may be subject to review by the safety and risk unit as determined by the tender panel. Whether this happened in the case of Pipecon and the Tate Street project has not been disclosed.
All workers deserve to go home, and the awarding of this contract to Pipecon has both workers and the public outraged and concerned that they will kill more. I hope the minister will respect the memories of these dead workers and their families and investigate not just the process but whether this company should be allowed to tender for projects using public funds.