Snowy Hydro Worker's Close Call from Falling Truck

By Emily Baker

Topic: Hydro Energy

Friday, 10 July 2026, at 6:36 am

A major Snowy Hydro project contractor is defending itself against claims it put workers at risk of death or serious injury in two incidents.

In short:

SafeWork NSW has started two criminal cases against Webuild, a Snowy Hydro project contractor.

Webuild is defending allegations it exposed five workers to the risk of death or injury in two incidents involving a truck and drill.

What's next?

The first case will be heard in the Industrial Court in Sydney on Monday. The second case is set for August next year.

A Snowy Hydro project contractor is defending itself against accusations it exposed five workers to the risk of death or serious injury in two incidents.

SafeWork NSW has started two criminal cases against Webuild, alleging it put workers at risk of death or serious injury.

Webuild has pleaded not guilty in both cases.

A spokesman said Webuild is defending the allegations, and this is a matter for the courts, not public commentary.

The Snowy Hydro 2.0 project will link two reservoirs beneath the Kosciuszko National Park through 27km of tunnels.

According to court documents, three men were doing maintenance under a concrete agitator truck when it fell from four mobile column lifts.

One man was struck by the truck and knocked down but rolled away just before the truck fell. The other two men ran away.

SafeWork NSW says Webuild failed to ensure worker safety in the June 2023 incident by not having proper systems and training in place.

As a result of Webuild's failures, workers were exposed to the risk of death or serious injury.

In another case, two men were injured in 2022 while using a broken probe drill with a tunnel boring machine at Tantangara Dam.

The Snowy Hydro project's cost has risen to $12 billion, with completion expected by the end of 2028.

SafeWork NSW says part of the drill stopped working, but the tunnel boring machine superintendent ordered it to be used again without fixing the broken part.

The two men were injured when the drill made an uncontrolled movement. SafeWork NSW accuses Webuild of exposing workers to the risk of death or serious injury.

Webuild says the drill incident was a near miss, with one worker uninjured and the other slightly bruised.

Webuild has a reputation for safely executing complex tunnelling projects and has strict procedures to keep workers safe.

Webuild's accident statistics are less than half of the Federal Safety Commission's benchmark in Australia.

Webuild is committed to delivering the Snowy Hydro project safely and to a high standard.

Hearings into the drill incident will start in the Industrial Court in Sydney on Monday. The truck incident is set for August next year.

The Snowy Hydro 2.0 project will link two reservoirs through 27km of tunnels and a new hydro-electric power station.

The project is slowly nearing completion, but experts question if it will justify its rising cost.

The project was first announced in 2017 with an estimated cost of $2 billion and expected completion in 2021.

The latest estimated cost is $12 billion, likely to rise further before completion by the end of 2028.

The project has faced challenges, including safety concerns.

Once built, it will produce 2.2 gigawatts of energy, enough to power 3 million homes for a week.

More NSW news

Topic: Courts

Topic: Crime

Topic: AFL

Friday, 10 July 2026, at 6:36 am

Friday, 10 July 2026, at 9:44 am

See more ABC coverage in your search results

Promotion

Practice Listening