Pandemic Management bill. Health and well-being Act 2021.

[DJC]

It’s hard to find budgets for infrastructure projects commissioned by the Victorian LNP governments because it’s a very long time since they built anything.  However, this article about the Baillieu Government’s approach to project budget transparency is interesting:

VICTORIAN taxpayers will be left in the dark over the cost of high-profile infrastructure projects such as an east-west road link under a sweeping overhaul of the state's tendering regime quietly announced by the Baillieu government.

A statement on the Victorian economy released by Premier Ted Baillieu just days before Christmas reveals the government will ''no longer disclose'' the cost of major projects when they are announced.

The public will effectively be denied information on the estimated cost of major projects for months, potentially years, until business contracts have been finalised.

The new rules are designed to introduce a fresh layer of competition into the tendering process because rival companies competing for major projects would not be able to calibrate their bids against the government's cost estimates.

''This will improve the competitive tension in the tender process and encourage more active price competition between bidders,'' the statement said.

But the rules have sparked concern taxpayers will have even less ability to scrutinise spending on major projects, which are shielded by commercial-in-confidence provisions.

Opposition scrutiny-of-government spokesman Martin Pakula accused Mr Baillieu of attempting to convince Victorians he could deliver major projects on budget ''by never telling us what the initial budget is''.

''I would expect the new Auditor-General would take a very dim view of this assault on transparency when the position is filled,'' Mr Pakula said.

Treasurer Kim Wells said publicly disclosing the project budget had the potential to limit competition by giving potential bidders ''a reasonable indication of the government's estimate of construction costs''.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victo...2cpsw.html

Note the timing of the announcement!