Work has been halted on Australia’s largest renewable energy project after a fatal truck rollover.
A man aged in his 50s was behind the wheel of a Snowy 2.0 project truck when it rolled on Monday afternoon on the Snowy Mountains Highway at Dry Plain.
He was trapped inside the vehicle and died at the scene, police said.
Snowy Hydro chief executive Dennis Barnes described the incident as “incredibly distressing” and said the welfare of the project’s workers was the immediate priority.
“This is a tragic event and we are supporting our Snowy 2.0 Principal Contractor, Future Generation Joint Venture, our teams and all those impacted in the community at this very sad and difficult time,” he said.
“Project operations have ceased until the night shift on Tuesday.”
Federal ministers Chris Bowen and Katy Gallagher said the government expected the highest standards of safety on all worksites.
“Everyone deserves to come home safe from work,” the energy minister and public service minister said in a joint statement on Tuesday.
“The government expects the highest standards of safety at Snowy 2.0 and all worksites and will engage closely with SHL and unions in the aftermath of this tragic incident.”
Police have forensically examined the crash scene and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Snowy Hydro 2.0 will connect two dams in southern NSW via 27km of tunnels and a new underground power station.
The $6 billion project will effectively operate as a natural battery by using excess wind and solar energy to pump water uphill before releasing it during peak periods to provide power to the national electricity grid.
Concerns have been raised, however, about budget blowouts, environmental hiccups and workplace health and safety issues.
– AAP
