The State of Victoria
Every figure on this page comes from an official public source. Every dollar is attributable. This is what accountability looks like.
| Item | Cost ($m) | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure cost overruns | $66,526m | BP4 / VAGO data | Details → |
| CFMEU estimated corruption cost (Watson 15%) | $19,090m | Watson SC report (2026) | Details → |
| Commonwealth Games compensation | $380m | Victorian Government (2023) | Details → |
| East West Link cancellation | $1,100m | DTF / Victorian Ombudsman | |
| Annual state debt interest | $6,800m | DTF (2025-26) | |
| Total | $93,896m |
Note: These categories overlap — the CFMEU estimate is a subset of infrastructure overruns, and debt interest is an annual recurring cost. The total represents the cumulative scale of financial impact, not a simple sum of independent costs.
Victoria tracks 576 infrastructure projects with a combined original TEI of $273,464m. Current estimates total $339,991m — an overrun of $66,526m (24.3%).
202 of 576 projects are currently over their original budget.
Watson SC estimated CFMEU corruption added 15% to Big Build project costs. Applied to the 12 tagged Big Build projects (current TEI: $127,264m), the estimated corruption cost is $19,090m.
10 infrastructure contractors have made 1743 political donations totalling $17,958,501 to political parties — funding both sides. These are the same companies delivering billion-dollar government contracts.
Compensation to the Commonwealth Games Federation after Victoria cancelled the 2026 Games. Cost estimates had blown out from $2.6b to $6-7b.
Contract termination cost after the incoming Andrews government cancelled the East West Link road tunnel project. Contracts had been signed by the outgoing Napthier government.
Victoria's net debt is projected at $150.9 billion by mid-2025. The annual interest bill of $6.8 billion is money that services debt rather than delivering services. That's $18.6m every single day — more than most councils spend in an entire year.
Victoria's 80 local councils spent $11.62b in 2023-24. Of that, $2.47b went to governance and administration — while only $1.34b went to local roads. 60 councils spend more on governing themselves than on roads.
Select your council to see the estimated cost impact on your area.
Data sources: Project TEI: Victorian Budget Paper 4 (2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26) and VAGO Major Projects Performance Reports. CFMEU estimate: Watson SC "Rotting from the Top" (2026). Political donations: AEC Transparency Register. Commonwealth Games: premier.vic.gov.au, media reporting. State debt and interest: DTF Statement of Finances (2025-26 Budget). Council financials: VLGGC Questionnaire data. Population: ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA (2023). All data is publicly available. This dashboard does not constitute legal findings.