Roads Australia reiterates calls to address construction culture

Roads Australia has reiterated calls to address the culture of violence, intimidation and poor productivity on construction sites, following further allegations of criminal and abusive behaviour on public infrastructure projects in Victoria.  

Ehssan Veiszadeh, CEO of Roads Australia, said “We are deeply concerned by the severity of allegations reported by Nine and 60 Minutes overnight, particularly as it paints a grim picture of an unsafe and unacceptable workplace for women.”  

“This kind of abusive behaviour is intolerable and undermines years of effort to improve construction industry culture and increase the number of women in the sector, following years of workforce shortages. This includes significant collaboration between multiple levels of government and industry through the Culture in Construction Taskforce,” Mr Veiszadeh said.  

As outlined in its 2025-26 Pre-Budget Submission, Roads Australia supports decisive action to address the culture of violence, intimidation and poor productivity that has become commonplace on infrastructure construction sites across the country.   

“It’s time to re-set expectations about acceptable behaviour on construction sites and establish a zero-tolerance culture for violence and intimidation. 

“Having a safe, compliant workplace and a sensible and efficient approach to how we build infrastructure is a key priority for the Australian transport sector. These allegations fly in the face of those efforts and risk eroding public trust in our industry,” said Mr Veiszadeh. 

About Roads Australia 

Roads Australia is the peak body for roads within an integrated transport system.  Its 120+ member organisations include Australia’s transport agencies, major contractors and consultants, asset owners and operators, material suppliers and technology providers, all committed to delivering high-quality infrastructure that benefits the community.  This includes close to 50 Victorian-based organisations, which support delivery of the state’s infrastructure pipeline and contribute to its economic and employment growth.    

media@roads.org.au