Inside the engineering megaproject that went horribly wrong | Four Corners

Australia’s Snowy 2.0 was sold as a nation-building megaproject for a low-carbon future - and was meant to be feeding power into the grid by the end of 2024.
Instead, the pumped hydro project, which was once estimated to cost $2 billion, is four years behind schedule and now forecast to hit $12 billion.
In this documentary, Four Corners reveals the inside story of Snowy 2.0 and how it all went so horribly wrong.
Reporter Angus Grigg challenges its founding champion, former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, who says as much as $2 billion of the cost blow out can be traced back to a massive tunnel boring machine called Florence.
Florence is currently stuck.
Read more about this story here: www.abc.net.au/news/102995568
This episode was originally broadcast as ‘Tunnel Vision’ on 23 October 2023 on ABC TV and ABC iview.
Four Corners is Australia’s premier investigations documentary series.
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Note: In most cases, our captions are auto-generated.

[@iceman4660]

Politician becomes engineering guru after reading a articles. What could go wrong?

[@Enonymouse_]

"It may affect the contractors reputation" It damn well should affect them, that work is dangerous but worker safety is a must!

[@philhogan5623]

I can't think of a single infrastructure project that DIDN'T go way over budget. It doesn't help that contractors immediately bump up their prices as soon as they see the words 'government project'.

[@kirkjohnson6638]

So, it's not a $2 billion mistake, it's a $12 billion mistake and that is if they don't overrun their current projections which is very dubious.

[@prizecowproductions]

Not in my back yard always seems the response to any proposed infrastructure project. But with that said fair compensation should always be on offer.

[@mickking5913]

It seems that florence shouldn't have been used until they were deeper and in the hard rock.The company in charge of the tunnelling should have known this so therefore they should pay all the extra costs not us the taxpayers.

[@linoiovenitti7207]

" I was wrong ", now there is a comment that you will never hear a politician say.

[@philanderson2220]

I'm learning as i go, he's a funny bastard 🤣

[@christophero1969]

This is comparable to watching children playing in a sandbox and discovering the different properties of wet-sand vs. dry-sand. The public is being taken for a ride, in my opinion.

[@trojanhatchet8204]

They cheaped out on geological studies ?

[@leskobrandon691]

This has $100 billion written all over it by the time they get this done. Isn't one of the reasons you release the names of companies with safety violations is to affect their reputation? Unbelievable

[@nedenede]

Mismanagement of public funds in the billions. Why isn't a public inquiry called and pple held accountable? The public needs to know.

[@dedrakuhn6103]

Skip the video to 22.20 minutes in to begin watching before starting at the beginning of the video. Whoever choose the order of events should have put the quick overview of this project first

[@annaclarke7643]

There’s small mistakes and then there’s HUGE mistakes that we all pay for. Promising outcomes seems to be the Australian infliction.

[@TheFrogga69]

People can’t pick a flower in a national park but these guys can trash it.

[@user-uk8qt9zl6k]

Looks like a few people did alright off it...

[@scottgordon1781]

Oh crap , they tunneled ahead and ignored it :-) They knew it was soft !

[@peterjones9732]

Love the comment about battery development and storage having less environmental impact, maybe on his land but not the environment or the poor people who mine the resources to make them.

[@harrygroundwater2590]

We need hydro and batteries

[@ecleveland1]

There’s never a free lunch. Somewhere someone else has to pay for it.

[@-JonnyBoy-]

"I'm learning as I go" is not what you want to hear from an "Expert"

[@seventyfive4899]

Exactly. I could've done this dude's job for half the salary and still learnt as I went. I coulda saved the government some cash.

[@makego]

I'm an engineer. This is the way every bespoke engineering project works. We marshall all the knowledge we have about the various domains involved, but there are always novel circumstances and constraints, and constant learning is required.

[@actualfacts1055]

The project should have been cancelled after the geology assessment was done.

[@captainpoppleton]

We recently all learnt about ocean depth pressure. Next subject is slurry.

[@TheGronk]

If it started with a politician it was doomed from the start. If it started with a politician like Malcom Turnbull, we were all doomed from the start

[@paulchasteauneuf2098]

As my dad used to say, poor planning produces piss poor performance. Thanks Turdball

[@AlexBint]

Prior planning prevents piss poor performance

[@jonramsey6348]

I remember this old electrician used to tell me “ Proper preparation prevents piss poor performance “

[@rwo5402]

12 Billion is small change compared to the nuclear subs or what is spent on public transport in Sydney and Victoria. Although it is annoying, in the long term it is a worthwhile investment. As far as bad decisions go let's not forget the 5 billion Scomo paid to France to get out of the sub contract and we didn't get anything for that.,

[@marklock1238]

Turnbull’s involvement would explain the failure. Just like his NBN fiasco.

[@RedpointFive]

Curious as to why the tunnels must be under ground rather than on top of the ground? 2nd question is Snowy 1.0 still making power while this project is underway? Looks like they could have had a nuclear power plant for about the same amount of money, and that actually makes power instead of simply being a battery.

[@DoubtingThomas333]

Don't people realise this is how construction companies work? It doesnt matter what kind and who they are... this is par the course for big construction gigs.

[@skin2117]

Going 6 times over budget seems to be acceptable but running power lines under ground ruled out as to expensive is just double talk. You're already 6 times over budget. Run the lines under ground and all are happy

[@ybet1000]

6 times the budget.. someone is taking the piss

[@oscarpadron6514]

Follow the money; it is always about the money.

[@Kurt_Philanderer]

It would have been humiliating for Malcolm Turnbull and the Liberal Party if the project had been found to be unfeasible. Political pressure drove Florence into the mud, and she's taking our money and worker safety down with it.

[@bobbyjohn2768]

Anyone old enough or paying enough attention should see the pattern here. :)

[@lours6993]

How painful to have to hear Scomo's fake blokey accent again.

[@Anamnesia]

Hold on... Wait a minute... Is this *_Four Corners_* or is it *_UTOPIA_* ???

[@geraldhagen2989]

This is an old and true statement; if you want a project screwed up, involve the government.

[@davidlock3695]

Surprise surprise the ABC didn’t interview the current Labor government and ask them why they haven’t cancelled this renewable energy disaster before we waste more billions!

[@matthoskin3572]

Turnbull was only concerned about ensuring his stock portfolio kept getting healthier........what a shill. Nice one captain NBN.

[@lukenovotny5638]

Turnbull strikes again.

[@matthewsheeran]

Love the double entendre: "Tunnel Vision". I'll say! ABC journalism at its best and keeping the public abreast.

[@trj1442]

Utopia in real life.

[@kwhblade]

One has to wonder who benefits from these government infrastructure projects with their massive cost overruns its surely not the tax payer.. Is it a lack of educated workforce or private corporation greed? If this wasn't a government backed project you can bet your life the project team would've been sacked for cost overruns and not hitting milestones like with any semi competent organisation in the modern world..

[@user-fl2wn5zr5z]

didn't they check the land composition before drilling

[@wheelitzr2]

This doesn't sound any different from any other large infrastructure project.

[@zerkfiter]

Was she amazing or what?The nice farm lady with cane in one hand and digging tool in other.😊

[@emanuel290]

What's an extra 10 bil between friends 😅😅

[@philscott7949]

That's not a sink hole. Look at what happened in Lane Cove. Every concrete truck in Sydney filling it for 2 days. Now that was a sink hole.

[@travishaines7410]

Thanks for my retirement job 😂, I'll be here till the end😂😂

[@PunsaraSagarage]

This is why your cost of living is high. Government taxing the sh!t out of people to cover these money black holes.

[@squeakyrabbit]

"We've learned a lot" "We've learned a few things" -Dennis Barnes

[@criticaluplink]

When you call the project as a scheme, there you have it.

[@kevinsteele2773]

Show me a government project that hasn’t gone over budget or over time

[@outwestcreatives127]

I’m sad, Florence is all alone and has no friends 😥 #saveflorencethetbm

[@irellevant906]

Better us blowing out a renewable energy project to 12 Billion than buying a war submarine for 368 Billion.

[@cinemaipswich4636]

It seems that the tunnel machine is not travelling deep enough. Having a tunell barely below the surface is a mistake. Seismic testing along the route should have picked this up. Backing up the machine is a huge problem in itself. Perhaps digging out the sink hole, fortifying it, and steering downwards may be the only solution. At least the sink hold has road access. Perhaps calling quits is the best option.

[@sundance2005]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="339">5:39</a>, when have you EVER heard a CEO here in the US say those words, I can't remember that I have.

[@45Grace2009]

Save the plamet from being fried? Puhleez ... stop the nonsense.

[@jazzeejax5816]

Underground power through farm land is insanely expensive not only to install but maintain, small price to pay

[@lillibitjohnson7293]

It will get built and work eventually. Like every other huge nation building project we’ve had.

[@peteypops]

It would be nice to watch a documentary without the unnecessary music mush.

[@FreeAsABirdSydneyAustralia]

Nice how they spend taxpayers money like it’s there own bottomless wallet

[@chrisblue46]

Large scale batteries, ???? what does he think they're made of, and how they were made????

[@MrFiftymill]

The first thing they say. I’m proud.

[@michaeljohn7398]

A very interesting and thought provocing documentary.

[@adamjones4951]

"27km of tunnels can never stack up economically or technically " Man doesn't know about the 50km channel tunnel

[@dimensionaltravelerchanga1072]

I wish these big dreamers good luck.

[@kevwills858]

They should have a statue of Saint Leprechaun ... the St of Good Luck ☘

[@sutherlandA1]

Yet the original snowy mountains scheme was finished early AND under budget

[@martinwyke]

The contractors should be held to their original tender price and bear the cost of their mistakes.

[@evil17]

That will never happen

[@diGritz1]

I'm pretty sure the first mistake was thinking any idea thought up at a pub...... shouldn't stay in the pub. Don't get me wrong, pubs are a great place to come with shi......I mean stuff. But it should stay there.

[@kylesmith8128]

Sounds like a failure of planning and surveying rather than problem of contractors....

[@hvacdesignsolutions]

Fail to plan, plan to fail.

[@tomfuelery2905]

It's really easy to spend other people's money. Six times over budget? Oops. Oh well.

[@skippydeenice]

my drunk mistakes are not as expensive

[@amadablam8229]

Interesting. Hadn’t heard about this before.

[@mobster6665]

Watching my four year old dig and play in the sandpit I wonder if he and his friends should be put in charge of this blunder. Some of the 12 billion will be tunnelled off to mates and grifters. It looks like St Barbara will be reporting to her boss with hopeless pleadings.

[@dr3857]

How goods butter chicken?!?!! Scotty, such a man of the people....

[@KaldekBoch]

As much as this looks like a mess, in the future when we're using this power nobody is going to care that it ran over budget. Like, pick up an old newspaper and just read all the frothing at the mouth during every single large government project. Do any of you care? Nope. Not saying the stuff ups shouldn't be held to account, but what you going to do? Stop the whole project? Pfft.

[@Mark-ok8ss]

Just build it and once it’s done. Nobody will remember the cost…. Remember the Sydney Opera House

[@kevwills858]

Turnbull ... say no more ... No risk(or brains in engineering) besides a public promotion ..

[@user-td8op5hx6b]

"Saving the planet " ! Yikes

[@robertmiller2173]

I Love Australia,,,,, Kiss Hug from New Zealand

[@LifeOnHard898]

I'm just a simple man but 6x over budget in reality isn't too far off. Seems like everything cost 6x more than it did in 2019

[@lawrenceleske3470]

If batteries were bought instead, how much more, or less, would they cost?

[@MrFiftymill]

Just another 12bill

[@AlJay0032]

So Australia is going to rescue the world now?

[@Whosetheworst]

A truly monumental .... ..!

[@epmediaproductions3459]

This is like the TV Show Utopia. But it’s real! 🤦‍♂️

[@josephnulley6808]

This will be a very expensive Never Ending Story ........

[@rogerterry5013]

Once they are in for 2 billion they can't get out.

[@chapmansbg]

I'm learning as I go! WTF? Calling concrete 'cement segments' is this guy for real? What is he doing there?

[@kenthoenen5484]

Regardless of which side you're on, the risk taken is more of a gamble or role of the dice and clearly lost. There is a lack of accountability for poor decisions.

[@WyattEmge]

I dont think those farmers understand whats needed to underground power transmission lines. Its gonna destroy their land far more the. Transmission towers

[@estewartbeveridge3183]

Nuclear. Nuclear. Nuclear. Nuclear. Get the picture?

[@grasonicus]

Absolutely. These youngsters can learn from us oldies. But they won't. They know better.

[@michaelrooke396]

This is what the mad rush to carbon neutral will continue to generate How long will it take the ABC to do a report on solar and wind farms ..... they are starting to look like some mad scientists nightmare.

[@jameslaupan6499]

Saint Barbara, the patron saint of tunneling. That ridiculous attribution pretty much sums it up.

[@180mph9]

Energy transition 🤣🤣🤣

[@patrickmukora3184]

Governments are wasteful and the contractor is obviously incompetent.

[@beemerkon]

Seems like people paying taxes got hood winked

[@boz123lol]

another dud project from the LNP? who'd have guessed

[@charlesc.parker1164]

Has Malcolm heard of something called a drought ? His plans would evaporate.

[@ga1e0john35]

Massive cost blowouts lol.