The principal contractor behind Australia’s largest renewable energy project is facing criminal prosecution after three workers allegedly came within moments of being crushed by a falling concrete truck during maintenance work at the Snowy Hydro 2.0 project.
SafeWork NSW has charged Webuild over the June 2023 incident at Lobs Hole in Kosciuszko National Park, alleging the company failed to protect workers from serious safety risks.
According to court documents filed by the workplace safety regulator, the three men were carrying out maintenance beneath a concrete agitator truck when it fell from four mobile column lifts. One worker was allegedly struck by the underside of the truck and knocked to the ground but managed to roll away “just before” the vehicle crashed down. The other two workers escaped on foot without being trapped.
SafeWork NSW alleges Webuild failed to ensure the health and safety of workers by not having appropriate systems, risk assessments, procedures and training in place for the use of the column lifts.
“As a result of the defendant’s failures, workers … were exposed to a risk of death or serious injury,” the regulator said in court filings.
A Webuild spokesperson said the company would contest the allegations.
“Webuild is defending the allegations — this is a matter for the courts and not for public commentary.”
The prosecution is separate from another criminal case brought by SafeWork NSW over a 2022 incident involving a probe drill linked to the tunnel boring machine known as Florence during construction works at Tantangara Dam.
According to the regulator, workers had stopped using the drill after its guide roller failed. However, SafeWork alleges a production superintendent directed staff to resume operating the equipment without carrying out a failure analysis or repairing the damaged component. The drill allegedly made an “uncontrolled movement”, injuring two workers and exposing them to a risk of death or serious injury.
Webuild said the drill incident was classified internally as a near miss, with one worker escaping injury and the other suffering only minor bruising to the hip.
Snowy Hydro 2.0 is one of Australia’s biggest infrastructure projects, linking two reservoirs beneath Kosciuszko National Park through 27 kilometres of tunnels. The project has faced repeated delays and cost blowouts, with its estimated cost rising to around $12 billion and completion now expected by the end of 2028.
The allegations against Webuild are yet to be tested in court.
