SFA Subcontractors for Accountability

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SFA Subcontractors for Accountability Standing up for unpaid subcontractors across Victoria. Fighting for fairness on government-funded construction jobs.

Calling for real protections and accountability.

Update on the VSBA / Roberts Co school projects Some members of Subcontractors for Accountability have been involved in ...
01/07/2026

Update on the VSBA / Roberts Co school projects

Some members of Subcontractors for Accountability have been involved in a long fight over unpaid works on the VSBA / Roberts Co public school projects.

One member has now been paid after pushing hard and proving that a statutory pathway could work.

But this is not where the story should end.

Other subcontractors who completed work on public school projects are still not being made whole. These are honest trades and small businesses that supplied labour, materials, wages, vehicles, tools, insurance, apprentices and cash flow to keep public projects moving.

The administrators successfully pursued Security of Payment adjudications against the Department, with more than $4.3 million found payable. The Department then fought enforcement through the Supreme Court. Money was eventually paid into Court anyway.

What is hard to accept is the outcome.

Money that could have helped affected subcontractors and trades was instead tied up in a legal fight over successful Security of Payment adjudications. By the time the process finished, legal, administration and professional costs came first, and the remaining subcontractors were still left with only partial pro-rata payments.

That does not sit right.

The cost story was not as simple as trades being told there was no money. If public money could be spent fighting a successful payment outcome, then affected subcontractors and taxpayers deserve answers about why more of that money was not used to make the trades who actually did the work whole.

Security of Payment laws are meant to protect trades and small businesses from being left carrying the risk when bigger players collapse. But in this case, the subcontractors who did the work were still left short.

Not every subcontractor has the money, time or legal firepower to fight through court processes just to be paid for work already completed. Some are still carrying debt, refinancing pressure and serious stress through no fault of their own.

This is not about blaming schools, teachers or the local community. These projects were for public schools, and the work was done by real trades trying to earn an honest living.

It is about a bigger question:

If government says it supports workers, fair payment and small business, why are subcontractors who completed public school works still not paid in full?

Some members have had to fight to be paid. Others are still left short.

That should concern every trade business in Victoria.

Small businesses should not have to mortgage their future to fund public projects.

We will keep pushing for answers, accountability and a fair outcome for the subcontractors and trade businesses still left carrying the loss.

This is bigger than one project or one invoice. It is about whether honest trades can trust that when they do the work, they will be paid.

Subcontractors for Accountability
Standing up for honest trades, fair payment and accountability.

NEW LAW NOW IN EFFECT IN VICTORIA: SUBBIES MUST BE PAID WITHIN 20 BUSINESS DAYS — WE SHOUTED, AND FINALLY THEY LISTENEDF...
17/04/2026

NEW LAW NOW IN EFFECT IN VICTORIA: SUBBIES MUST BE PAID WITHIN 20 BUSINESS DAYS — WE SHOUTED, AND FINALLY THEY LISTENED

For years, subcontractors have been forced to wear slow payment terms, unfair contracts, and builders hiding behind 30 days EOM.

Now, finally, that has changed.

From 15 April 2026, the new Victorian Security of Payment changes mean a builder or head contractor cannot contract out of the 20 business day payment cap for a progress payment claim. If your contract says 30 days EOM or anything longer, it has no effect to the extent it pushes payment past 20 business days after your payment claim is served.

We shouted. We pushed. We exposed it. And finally they listened.

Now it is up to subcontractors to use it.

Serve a valid payment claim. Start the clock. Enforce it.

If you’re a Victorian tradie, roofer, plumber, sparkie, cladder, concreter or supplier, stop assuming delayed payment is just part of the game.

It isn’t.
Not anymore.

Check your contract.
Check your reference date.
Serve your claim properly.
Count the 20 business days.
And do not let anyone hide behind old payment terms.

Because every extra week they hold your money is your wages, your materials, your tax, your rent, your mortgage, and your family carrying their cashflow.

This only changes things if subbies start enforcing it.

Know your rights. Know your dates. Know your leverage.

UPDATE – Roberts Co collapse / VSBA school projectsDevco’s EstimateOne profile shows the three re-tendered school packag...
27/01/2026

UPDATE – Roberts Co collapse / VSBA school projects

Devco’s EstimateOne profile shows the three re-tendered school packages were awarded on 15 Dec 2025:

Hallam Secondary College

Coburg High School

John Fawkner College

SFA has received consistent reports from multiple incumbent subcontractors that Devco was the only tenderer who did not contact them prior to the tender being awarded.

SFA has also been told by multiple incumbent trades that they submitted “to complete” pricing/quotes during the tender process and were contacted by other tenderers pre-award to clarify scope — but Devco did not contact or query them pre-award about inclusions/exclusions, interface risks, compliance sign-offs, or what work had already been completed.

SFA has also received reports that some incumbent trades are again being left out, or are being approached post-award with offers well below what they had originally quoted to complete the works.

On partially completed projects, this raises serious concerns about scope verification, risk transfer, and the risk of repeating the same failure pattern that leaves subcontractors exposed. This is a procurement/process concern only — it is not a concession that any additional costs are payable or inevitable.

We have raised these exact concerns directly with VSBA, including repeated requests for the quantification / set-off figures prepared shortly after the Roberts Co collapse, so the basis for key decisions can be properly understood and tested.

We won’t comment on the live court proceedings, but we have been advised that once the court process concludes (expected February), further information will be available — and we will provide an update to our followers to help clear up the facts and explain what this means for subcontractor protections going forward.

Even when the real-world impact on subcontractors is minimised or ignored, SFA will keep shining a light on the facts and pushing for accountability and reform.

26/11/2025

Thank you, Renee Heath Mp for having the courage to stand up in Parliament and speak for subcontractors and their families. Your support means a great deal to the many people who have been struggling to have their experiences acknowledged.

For months, subbies have been fighting just to be paid for completed, certified work, all while carrying enormous stress behind the scenes. To finally have someone raise these issues publicly gives hope to every small business and every worker affected.

Your willingness to speak up shows genuine leadership, and we are truly grateful for the effort you’ve made to bring this into the spotlight.

And just to be clear — we appreciate anyone from any side of Parliament who is willing to stand up for fairness. This is about people, not politics.

But today, we want to acknowledge your courage and say thank you. 🙏💜🧡

We will continue to fight, continue to push, and continue to be heard.
— Subcontractors for Accountability (SFA)

🚨 🚨 🚨 🚨 OCTOBER UPDATE 🚨 🚨 🚨 🚨  Update from Subcontractors for Accountability (SFA)Many of you have been asking where...
28/10/2025

🚨 🚨 🚨 🚨 OCTOBER UPDATE 🚨 🚨 🚨 🚨

 Update from Subcontractors for Accountability (SFA)

Many of you have been asking where things are at with the campaign for fair treatment of subcontractors on publicly funded projects.

The short answer: we’re not done — but real movement is happening.

Some of the cases we’ve raised are now being handled through formal legal and mediation processes, and those involved are doing everything by the book to make sure nothing gets derailed. Out of respect for those proceedings, we can’t go into details yet — but we can say that the evidence is finally being tested, and decision-makers are being asked the hard questions.

What’s already clear is this:
• The system isn’t fair when subcontractors carry the risk on government projects while agencies and builders stay protected.
• Transparency, prompt payment, and accountability are not optional extras — they’re written into government policy and must be followed.
• Change only happens when we stay united, factual, and persistent.

Our focus remains the same:
✅ Fair and prompt payment for every tier of the industry
✅ Proper use of public money
✅ Real consequences when government bodies ignore their own rules

Thank you to every subcontractor, supplier and supporter who’s stood up and spoken out. Your stories have reached ministers, auditors and the Ombudsman — and that’s only because we refused to go quiet.

For now, we’re keeping things professional while the formal steps play out. Once they’re complete, we’ll share the full picture — and it will be worth the wait.

Stay ready, stay united, and stay factual. We’ve come too far to stop now.

— Subcontractors for Accountability (SFA)

🚨 TAXPAYERS BEING BURNED — SUBBIES LEFT UNPAID 🚨The Allan Labor Government a week ago promised subcontractors would be “...
15/09/2025

🚨 TAXPAYERS BEING BURNED — SUBBIES LEFT UNPAID 🚨

The Allan Labor Government a week ago promised subcontractors would be “paid fairly and promptly.”
But their own agency — the VSBA — is doing the exact opposite.

❌ An adjudicator has ruled the VSBA owes $4.3 MILLION for works at Coburg High, Hallam Secondary, and John Fawkner College.
❌ A legal notice (12 Sept 2025) makes the VSBA directly liable to subcontractors.
❌ Instead of paying, they’re spending $100,000s of taxpayer dollars on lawyers while racking up over $45,000 already and $1,000 in interest every single day.

💔 Subcontractors have paid their workers and suppliers months ago.
💔 Families are left with half-finished schools.
💔 Taxpayers are footing the bill for a cover-up.

👉 If Victoria is truly the “ ”, it must start by paying the small businesses that built our schools — and stop wasting public money hiding from the truth.

It’s time for a .
✍️ Share this post. Comment below. Demand accountability.

🚨 September Update from Subcontractors for Accountability 🚨 Last month, Minister Harriet Shing MP released “A Fairer Go...
14/09/2025

🚨 September Update from Subcontractors for Accountability 🚨

Last month, Minister Harriet Shing MP released “A Fairer Go for Subbies”, promising that subcontractors would be paid fairly and promptly under the Security of Payment Act (SOPA).

https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/fairer-go-subbies

The reality is very different ⬇️

✔️ 23 days ago, an independent adjudicator ordered the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) to pay $4.33 million for work already completed and certified defect-free.
✔️ 16 days ago, the payment deadline expired.
❌ The VSBA has not paid.
❌ Instead, they are spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars on lawyers to avoid following SOPA — while penalty interest grows daily, also at taxpayer expense.
❌ They even told subcontractors Section 31 notices were “futile” — yet a valid Section 31 has now been served, legally tying the VSBA directly to subcontractors owed money.

That means six weeks of defect-free subcontractor work and millions in materials remain unpaid. Many small businesses are out between $200k–$750k each. Families are under huge stress while the government fights against the very law designed to protect them.

The High Court has been clear: SOPA is meant to be “pay now, argue later”. The VSBA is doing the opposite — using public money to delay and obstruct.

We have written directly to Minister Shing with the evidence and will await her response.

This is bigger than one case. It proves that unless government agencies follow SOPA themselves, the protections mean nothing. Taxpayers lose, subbies lose, only lawyers win.

✊ Subcontractors for Accountability will keep fighting until every subbie is paid fairly, taxpayer money stops being wasted on legal games, and genuine protections are put in place.

10/08/2025

SFA Advocacy Update – August 2025

It’s been a while since our last update — not because we’ve gone quiet, but because we’ve been working in the shadows. We’ve mastered the Security of Payment Act, torn down walls to get the truth, and gathered the kind of evidence that makes people in power very uncomfortable. And now, we’re being ignored on key, specific questions — a clear sign we’re getting close.

Here’s where things stand:
• The builder hasn’t been paid.
• The subcontractors haven’t been paid.
• The work — completed, certified, and sitting on school sites — remains unpaid for, despite the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) benefiting from it every day.

It’s now six months since Roberts Co (VIC) collapsed, leaving millions in debts across Victorian public school projects. Yet:
• No tender has been released to complete the works.
• No subcontractor has been contacted for re-engagement — despite VSBA contracts allowing nominated subcontractors to be used for continuity.
• The administrator has confirmed they are in formal adjudication proceedings against the VSBA over money they say is still owed.
• The VSBA has rejected the administrator’s proposal to directly pay subcontractors from any recovered funds — a solution that could have saved small businesses and complied with Ministerial Direction No. 1’s fair payment requirements.

We’ve also confirmed:
• Roberts Co was allowed to trade insolvent as early as December 2024, under the VSBA’s watch.
• The VSBA told subcontractors they had already done a full and valid set-off prior to the DOCA — yet now claim they are relying on the DOCA to justify their position.
• The VSBA refuses to answer whether the debts or set-off amounts they claim were valid before administration, which is critical to whether their position holds under the Corporations Act.
• Subcontractors were told they could not be re-engaged, despite contract clauses clearly allowing it.

This isn’t just about one collapse.
It’s a case study in how government contracts are structured to protect the top of the chain while leaving small business to bleed out. And the most alarming part? No one in government is even talking about stopping it from happening again.

The schools sit there unfinished. The money sits in dispute. And the people who built them are being pushed closer to losing everything.

We’re not done. Not even close.

20/06/2025

📢 We made it into The Age.
Today’s article finally puts our fight front and centre.

(Article in comments.)

“Collapse leaves schools in limbo, tradies unpaid” – that’s the headline, and it couldn’t be more true.

We told The Age that subcontractors like us – small businesses, sole traders, families – are owed between $70,000 and $700,000 each across multiple school jobs. The builder was paid. The government held the money. But we’ve been left behind.

🧱 “The system wasn’t flawed, it was designed this way.”
That’s a direct quote from our submission — and they published it in black and white.

The article exposes how government contracts:

Let builders get paid in 21 days,

Allow subcontractors to be pushed out to 30+ days,

And provide no protection when builders collapse.

It also sheds light on the personal toll: the mental load, the financial strain, and the emotional exhaustion that comes with being left out, unheard, and unpaid.

💬 We’ve said it all along: we’re not asking for charity — we’re asking for fair treatment.

We're grateful to The Age for shining a light, and to every supporter helping push this issue forward. The fight continues — but today, the truth was printed.

21/05/2025

MOVEMENT UPDATE
We’ve now formally escalated our claim to the VSBA.

We appreciate that senior executives at the VSBA made time for a detailed, in-person meeting to hear us out. Their willingness to engage within the bounds of what’s lawfully and morally achievable marks a real shift and we want to acknowledge just how much progress that represents.

Securing a meeting like this at executive level is a huge step forward. It shows that our voices are being heard, and that our movement is forcing long overdue issues into the room where decisions are made.

Meanwhile, several key ministers remain silent.
We’re still waiting but we’re not backing down.

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Melbourne, VIC

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