Safety Concerns Halt Work at Snowy 2.0 Hydro Project Amid Union Warnings

The Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro project has paused its underground operations following safety warnings from the Australian Workers Union (AWU). The union's anxieties about the adequacy of "last resort" refuge chambers, which serve as emergency shelters for workers underground, have led to a halt in work on all three tunnel boring machines as of Wednesday. This follows a previous stoppage of work on two tunnelling projects just over a week prior.

Despite Snowy Hydro's assurances that operations on the $12 billion initiative would soon resume, the union cautioned that addressing the workers' concerns may result in substantial delays. The AWU highlighted issues related to both the training of personnel and the maintenance of the refuge chambers, expressing that many of these crucial safety features have not been well maintained and that there has not been enough training for staff on their operation. These chambers are critical in emergencies such as tunnel collapses or air supply failures, offering oxygen and shelter for up to 24 hours.

Tony Callinan from the AWU emphasized the necessity for workers to feel secure that there is a robust emergency plan in place. He stated that merely hoping for safety in high-risk environments is inadequate, stressing that it is essential for skills related to emergency situations to be routinely practiced. Furthermore, Callinan revealed ongoing concerns that the pressures of meeting project timelines are influencing the construction processes adversely.

Additionally, challenges remain with major tunnelling activities yet to be completed before the project can start generating power, necessitating a quicker pace of work as deadlines loom. One of the tunnel boring machines, named Florence, has only completed less than 3 kilometres of its intended 17-kilometre tunnel, which led to Snowy Hydro acquiring another machine to work from the opposite direction.

The project is seen as crucial for achieving the federal government's goal of sourcing 83 percent of its power from renewable energy by 2030, as it is expected to provide reliable power when renewable sources are inconsistent. Callinan pointed out that the concerns raised by the AWU regarding safety versus production priorities have been persistent since the project's inception, with the union claiming that safety has consistently been relegated in favor of faster production timelines.

In light of these ongoing issues, the AWU has reached out to both the federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen and the NSW Industrial Relations Minister Sophie Cotsis to request discussions regarding the project. Snowy Hydro has commented that efforts are being initiated by its contractor to address the identified safety concerns as a response to the feedback received from workers.