Engineers welcome bid to rein in cost blowouts in Victorian government projects

Victoria's treasurer, Tim Pallas, says government will standardise construction contracts and set up register of projects

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Civil engineers have welcomed a move by the Victorian treasurer, Tim Pallas, to overhaul the way the state awards construction contracts in a bid to rein in cost blowouts in its $21.3bn a year big build" infrastructure program.

In Tuesday's state budget, Pallas said the state government would work more closely on scoping projects with private industry, as well as standardising contracts and setting up a register of projects worth $100m to make it easier for contractors and suppliers to know what is coming down the infrastructure pipeline.

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