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Workers share disgusting images of maggot-infested food served to them at one of Australia’s largest workplaces: ‘Prisoners eat better’
- Snowy 2.0 camp workers have found worms in food
- Food served at various sites has been ‘unfit for consumption’
- SafeWork NSW is now investigating food hygiene
Workers living remotely at a government super-project have found worms and caterpillars in their workplace-supplied food.
Workers working on Australia’s largest renewable energy project, Snowy 2.0, south of Canberra, are now considering a strike on the $2 billion project.
Worms have been found in workplaces where food is served, including Tantangara, Lobb’s Hole and Marica, and have been documented by the Australian Workers Union, which released the footage calling for higher safety standards.
SafeWork NSW has also confirmed that it will launch an investigation into food hygiene in labor camps following the publication of photos and videos of insects on numerous dishes.
Those currently contracted to work on the project are often required to live on-site and therefore have no access to alternative food.
Worms were recently found in a steak served to workers during morning tea
The Snowy Hydro project is the largest ever construction project in Australia that changed the country and its people forever.
A caterpillar was found along with vegetables in a meal at a Snowy 2.0 workplace
NSW Australian Workers Union secretary Tony Callinan said in a statement that concerns about food hygiene are not new and have been a topic of discussion “for a long time”.
“Maximum security prisoners are served better food than the workers building Snowy Hydro 2.0.” he said.
“You have workers living, literally locked in a camp with limited recreational facilities in the middle of nowhere, being fed maggot-infested food.
“Unfortunately, it’s escalated recently with some changes to catering, and now we’re seeing food that isn’t actually fit for consumption.”
A SafeWork NSW spokesperson also told ABC that they will assist in an investigation alongside the National Parks and Wildlife Service with support from the NSW Food Authority.
The project’s construction partner, Future Generation Joint Venture, has been provided with copies of images and videos showing the extent of the infestation in food served to workers.
Mr Callinan blamed this situation on partners “cutting every corner possible in food, security and everything else”.
‘The site has an abysmal security record – it’s an absolute pressure cooker right now. I know the workers are considering taking down the tools if things don’t improve,” he said.
The poached eggs were inedible for workers who had limited choices of what was available to eat in remote NSW
A ‘potato pie’ served to workers that was documented by a worker and sent to the AWU
Although the Snowy Hydro 2.0 project has been subject to multiple controversies and delays, Minister for Energy and Climate Change Chris Bowen has yet to commit to launching an independent review into alleged management misconduct at the site.
The Turnbull government announced the expansion of the Snowy Hydro project in March 2017, promising first power in 2021 at a cost of $2 billion.
Recent estimates from those involved with Snowy 2.0 expect the budget to balloon to as much as $6 billion, with construction now expected to be complete by the end of 2027.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Future Generation Joint Venture for comment.