Legislative Assembly Environment and Planning Committee

Inquiry into employers and contractors who refuse to pay their subcontractors for completed works

Completed

Inquiry snapshot

This Inquiry examined Victoria’s security of payment laws to identify opportunities to strengthen support for construction subcontractors seeking payment.

The Inquiry received 44 submissions and held two days of public hearings, one in Melbourne and one online.

A final report was tabled on 28 November 2023. The Committee found that longstanding poor payment practices in the construction sector are having serious impacts on subcontractors, their employees and families. It made 28 recommendations to improve the security of payment laws to ensure subcontractors are paid for completed works, including:

  • enabling subcontractors to claim all the value awarded by a construction contract
  • limiting the use of unfair clauses in construction contracts
  • extending the time for which a subcontractor can claim payment for their work from three to six months
  • making the adjudication process fairer for both subcontractors and head contractors.

Read the final report.

Read the terms of reference

Contact us

Write

Parliament of Victoria
Legislative Assembly Environment and Planning Committee
Parliament House, Spring Street
EAST MELBOURNE VIC 3002

Telephone

Terms of reference

The terms of reference are instructions which explain what a committee has been asked to do, what topics it should focus on, and how its members will work together to achieve its shared goals.

On 9 March 2023 the Legislative Assembly agreed to the following motion:

That this House refers an inquiry into employers and contractors who refuse to pay their subcontractors for completed works to the Environment and Planning Standing Committee for consideration and report no later than 31 December 2023.