Desalination jobs and contracts

The Victorian Desalination Project provided significant job opportunities during the construction phase and a major boost to the Victorian economy and local region, including opportunities for local business.

About 10,500 people worked on the project during construction, with the workforce peaking at around 4,500 at one point.

Direct and indirect jobs were created through jobs on site and contracts awarded for products and services.

There are about 50 full-time equivalent jobs involved in operating the plant and more contract positions to support operations, maintenance and servicing.

The project awarded about $1.2 billion worth of contracts during construction, two-thirds of these were awarded to Victorian companies and about three-quarters to Australian companies.

Contracts awarded to Victorian companies included a $150 million pipe manufacturing contract to Tyco Water, $43 million power cable manufacturing contract to Olex, $17 million to OneSteel to supply structural and reinforcing steel and $7 million to Page Steel to fabricate and install structural steel on the plant site.

Jobs and sub-contracts went to local and regional people. Businesses from Wonthaggi, Bendigo, Dandenong, and other regional areas won contracts.

The construction phase boosted the local economy with demand from a new workforce living and working in the area for products from local suppliers and business for retailers, cafes, fuel suppliers, caterers and other service providers.