8 December 2020

Union accuses Snowy 2.0 of putting workers' lives at risk

| Hannah Sparks
Join the conversation
2
Snowy Hydro building and pipes.

A Snowy Hydro 2.0 employee ended up in a car accident after leaving work on Saturday, 5 December. Photo: Snowy Hydro Facebook page.

The Australian Workers’ Union (AWU) has accused the main contractor to Snowy Hydro 2.0 of prioritising deadlines ahead of its workers’ safety after a crane supervisor was taken to Canberra Hospital in a critical condition on the night of Saturday, 5 December.

The crane supervisor was involved in a car accident on the Snowy Mountains Highway while driving to offsite accommodation, around 60 to 90 minutes away, where the majority of the 1000 Snowy Hydro 2.0 employees are housed.

The car accident could have been avoided if Future Generation sent staff at the renewable energy project home earlier and finished its onsite accommodation, the AWU argued.

READ ALSO Fire captain issues smoke alarm warning after elderly Moruya man dies in house fire

“This worker would still have had a long drive ahead of him, but at least he would have been travelling in safe driving conditions,” said AWU NSW assistant branch secretary Tony Callinan.

The highway collision was between a car and a truck, and the crane supervisor, believed to be aged in his 50s, sustained serious injuries to his arm and head, a NSW Ambulance spokesperson said.

Future Generation issued a statement on Monday afternoon after Region Media asked if the company agreed with AWU’s accusation.

“Future Generation was deeply distressed to learn of the vehicle accident which occurred on the Snowy Mountains Highway on Saturday,” the statement read. “We are focused on the support and recovery of our injured colleague and the welfare of his family and the broader Snowy 2.0 workforce.”

The statement went on to say: “Safety is always our number one priority. NSW Police is investigating the road accident and Future Generation is assisting with their enquiries.”

READ ALSO Red-bellied black snake caught in netting freed by WIRES

Due to the weather conditions on Saturday night, the crane supervisor was unable to be evacuated by helicopter and had to be transported by road to Canberra Hospital, according to the AWU.

AWU says Future Generation has been trying to catch up on deadlines since delays from the past summer’s bushfires and COVID-19.

“This incident should be a wake-up call for Future Generation to finish its onsite accommodation and amenities before proceeding with the tunnelling phase of the project,” said Mr Callinan. “That should be its most pressing deadline.

“121 men lost their lives building the original Snowy Mountains scheme, and the AWU will not allow history to be repeated.”

Join the conversation

2
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

What rubbish!! i know the real circumstances. Maybe someone should look into what this fool did in the time before his shift

No you dont.
He was on the way home from a 10-12hr shift, what he did before his shift was drive the 90+ minutes to the site like almost everyone else.

Daily Digest

Do you like to know what’s happening around your region? Every day the About Regional team packages up our most popular stories and sends them straight to your inbox for free. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.