Petition Investigation into the Metro Tunnel plaque replacement

The petition of certain citizens of the State of Victoria draws to the attention of the Legislative Council that public reports indicate approximately $70,000 was spent to replace commemorative plaques for the Metro Tunnel project after errors were identified in the wording. The circumstances surrounding the error, the approval process, contractual responsibilities and the expenditure of public funds have not been fully explained. Where errors occur in publicly funded projects, Victorians are entitled to transparency regarding who was responsible, whether contractual obligations were enforced and whether appropriate procurement, quality assurance and governance processes were followed. Greater public accountability is necessary to maintain confidence in the management of taxpayer funded infrastructure projects.

The petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Council call on the Government to commission an independent investigation into the Metro Tunnel plaque replacements to determine who approved the incorrect wording, whether the error originated with the contractor,  government departments or another party, whether the contract required rectification at the contractor's expense, why approximately $70,000 was spent replacing the plaques, whether any public funds can be recovered where contractual remedies were available, and whether improvements to procurement, contract management and quality assurance processes are required, with the findings to be tabled in Parliament.