Taxpayers pay the price for union guerrilla campaign
A militant outfit’s guerrilla campaign against the state’s largest infrastructure project in a decade has cost taxpayers more than half a billion dollars and delayed construction for years.
Queensland’s CFMEU Commission of Inquiry resumed on Tuesday, with Cross River Rail Delivery Authority chief executive Graeme Newton taking the stand as a key witness.
In bombshell evidence, the cost of the CFMEU’s rolling campaign of cuts to CRR construction is estimated at a staggering $580 million.
The outage also delayed the delivery timeline by at least three years, with the project expected to be completed by 2029.
Mr Newton described the increasingly toxic relationship with the CFMEU to the point of authority staff fearing for their safety.
Mr Newton claimed in his statement that the CFMEU industrial actions targeted critical, time-sensitive construction stages to maximize damage to the project timeline and financial impact.
The union sabotaged concrete pouring on at least 12 occasions; This required costly reworking, partial demolition and recasting of the construction to meet safety standards.
Additionally, crane lift operations were deliberately interfered with on 14 occasions, leading to standby or cancellation fees for specialist crews and equipment, as well as additional costs for temporary storage and double handling of materials.
The protracted union strike led to protected industrial action with 148 days’ notice between April and December 2024, the inquest was told.
Pickets at workplaces blocked approximately 1,000 subcontracted workers, leading to violent clashes and verbal abuse; security footage has already been proven.
Unprotected protests were also launched across the southeast, with union bosses illegally entering construction zones and blockading sites.
“I am aware that the CFMEU has publicly criticized responsible government ministers, senior public servants and individual field workers in ways that could be perceived as threatening, provocative or defamatory,” Mr Newton said in his statement.
“Mr. (Michael) Ravbar has been heard publicly criticizing me, making allegations of fraud, allegations of incompetence, incompetence and lack of transparency.
“During his speech, he called me an idiot, a sneaky jerk, and a bullshit artist.”
Mr Newton said the union had also run safety misinformation campaigns through media outlets and social media sites on issues such as asbestos exposure, flood allegations, silica dust and heat stress, which the authority denied.
“These campaigns also coincided with wider industrial action which is said to have caused significant disruption to the project,” Mr Newton said.
“CFMEU has engaged in sustained media and social media campaigns targeting the project and making health or safety claims based on exaggerated or unsubstantiated claims.”
The union was placed into nationwide administration in 2024 amid allegations that cyclists and organized crime figures had infiltrated the organisation, resulting in a dramatic recovery.
Industrial action was stopped, productivity was restored and major jobs were completed on time or ahead of schedule.
The state government launched the investigation in July 2025 after a report by lawyer Geoffrey Watson revealed allegations of thuggery against Queensland’s CFMEU branch.
The investigation continues to investigate the impact of the abuses on the Queensland economy and the construction of housing and transport infrastructure, including the Bruce Highway, Gold Coast Light Rail, Cross River Railway and Centenary Bridge.
