Cross River Rail boss tells inquiry CFMEU 'purposefully' disrupted $19 billion project

The CFMEU deliberately targeted critical construction phases on Brisbane's Cross River Rail to maximise delays and budget overruns on Queensland's largest infrastructure project, a state inquiry heard this week.

Cross River Rail Delivery Authority chief executive Graeme Newton gave evidence over two days at the Queensland Commission of Inquiry into the CFMEU, detailing what he described as strategic disruption of the $19 billion underground rail network.

The 10.2km project is now due to open in 2029, five years behind its original 2024 completion target, with costs tripling from the initial $5.4 billion estimate.

148 days of shutdown

Construction on the rail project stopped for 148 days between April and December 2024 during an enterprise bargaining dispute between major contractor CPB and the CFMEU.

In his written statement to the inquiry, Newton said the union adopted a "strategic and tactical approach to site disruption" during rallies, protests and industrial action.

In these instances, the CFMEU appeared to use their knowledge of major construction phases to purposefully disrupt specific works, maximising negative impact on the wider project delivery program.

— Graeme Newton, Cross River Rail Delivery Authority CEO

Newton told the inquiry the union targeted works that would "disrupt site operations, force significant rescheduling of works and prevent the project from achieving major milestones."

His submission included allegations that union members poured concrete into toilets to clog them, damaged concrete pumps and stole keys from subcontractors during the industrial dispute.

The 148-day stoppage affected the entire project schedule. Newton's written statement, a 40.6MB document including 122 annexures executed on 9 March 2026, detailed the compound effect of the disruptions across multiple construction phases.

CPB Contractors, the major contractor on the project, could not proceed with scheduled tunnel boring, station fit-outs, or track laying during the shutdown period. The delay forced rescheduling of subsequent phases and affected coordination with other infrastructure works across Brisbane's rail network.

Misinformation and safety claims

Newton said the CFMEU "consistently made unsubstantiated claims" through social media and media organisations about poor safety conditions on Cross River Rail worksites.

The claimed safety issues included asbestos exposure and heat stress. Newton described it as a deliberate pattern.

It became a pretty standard practice of the CFMEU to just put misinformation into the marketplace to undermine the credibility of the project, the Delivery Authority, the contractors and people working on the project.

— Graeme Newton in testimony to the inquiry

He called the campaign "disruptive and unproductive" and cited "sustained CFMEU interference" as contributing to long-term timeline setbacks and increased operational costs.

The Queensland branch of the CFMEU responded on social media that the state government had "been repeatedly warned about cost cutting and major safety issues" on the project.

Political connections and procurement concerns

Newton told the inquiry on Tuesday he had concerns about probity risks during the procurement process for the project.

He described meetings with senior CFMEU officials Michael Ravbar and Jade Ingham as "aggressive" and said they attempted to influence the tender selection process.

Newton said it was "evident" the union had a "direct line of communication" into then deputy premier Jackie Trad's office to advance its demands on the project.

Trad issued a statement to the ABC saying she was "more than willing to cooperate with the inquiry and give evidence, should that be required."

Respecting the ongoing deliberations of the Inquiry, I will reserve making any further comment unless requested to appear.

— Jackie Trad, former Queensland deputy premier

Trad was stripped of responsibility for Cross River Rail in 2019 following a corruption investigation by Queensland's Crime and Corruption Commission over an investment property purchase near the planned Woolloongabba station. The CCC ultimately decided not to investigate.

The inquiry testimony also covered the CFMEU's attempts to secure an enterprise bargaining agreement directly with the Cross River Rail Delivery Authority rather than with the contractors. Newton said this approach would have added hundreds of millions of dollars to project costs.

The union's Building Trades Group pushed for what Newton described as an unlawful project agreement that bypassed standard procurement and contracting arrangements. The delivery authority resisted these demands through the procurement process.

Administration and productivity recovery

All branches of the construction arm of the CFMEU were placed into administration in 2024 amid allegations bikie gangs and organised crime syndicates had infiltrated the organisation.

A September 2024 investigation by barrister Geoffrey Watson found the CFMEU's construction division remained under the influence of criminal elements, including bikie gangs. The report detailed allegations that senior bikie figures had been placed into roles as union delegates.

Newton told the inquiry that productivity on Cross River Rail has been "restored" since the administration, with major construction works now completed on time or ahead of schedule.

Administrator Mark Irving, appointed by the Fair Work Commission, oversees the CFMEU's construction division nationally. KordaMentha was engaged to investigate links between the Queensland branch and organised crime networks.

The inquiry into the CFMEU continues. Full transcripts and exhibits from Newton's testimony are published on the Commission of Inquiry website.

The commission heard from other key witnesses during the three-day hearing block from 17-19 March. Don Johnson, managing director of EIC Activities, and Vince Sanfilippo from CPB Contractors also gave evidence about their experiences with the union on the project.

Project scale and impact

Cross River Rail is a 10.2 kilometre rail line running from Dutton Park to Bowen Hills, with 5.9 kilometres of twin tunnels under the Brisbane River and CBD.

The project includes four new underground stations at Boggo Road, Woolloongabba, Albert Street and Roma Street, and is designed to increase rail capacity across South East Queensland's growing population.

When first approved, the project had an estimated cost of $5.4 billion with passenger services expected to begin in 2024. The timeline has since been pushed to 2029 with costs estimated at $19 billion, though some Queensland government statements suggest the total may exceed $17 billion.

The cost blowout represents a 252 percent increase from the original budget. The delay adds five years to the delivery timeline, pushing completion nearly a decade after initial planning commenced.

Cross River Rail is the largest infrastructure project ever undertaken in Queensland. The twin tunnels will double rail capacity through Brisbane's CBD and remove a bottleneck that currently limits services across the entire South East Queensland rail network.

The project was designed to address capacity constraints that were projected to prevent further service frequency increases on existing lines. Once operational, it will enable more trains to run on the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, and other regional lines that connect through the CBD.