The Snowy Hydro 2.0 project has encountered a health alert after a worker at the Tantangara hub tested positive for tuberculosis (TB). The Future Generation Joint Venture, led by major contractor Webuild, notified site staff on Wednesday that an employee likely contracted the lung disease during an overseas trip. NSW Health authorities are currently conducting contact tracing to identify colleagues who may have had close exposure to the infected individual.

While the precise number of potentially exposed workers remains unclear, it is estimated that up to 500 employees pass through the Tantangara site daily. Tuberculosis is relatively uncommon in Australia, with many cases detected being latent and non-contagious. According to the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System, there have been more than 940 positive TB tests nationally in 2026, including 322 in New South Wales. The disease is generally treatable with antibiotics and rarely fatal; however, health officials maintain vigilance due to concerns about the possible emergence of drug-resistant strains.

In response to the positive case, Webuild and Snowy Hydro have implemented extensive cleaning protocols at the accommodation village, offices, and other areas the infected worker visited. Contact tracing efforts and precautionary testing are ongoing, but work at the Snowy Hydro 2.0 site has reportedly continued without interruption.

Some workers expressed concern about how the information was communicated, noting that the alert was emailed late Thursday after many had already left the site, with limited details regarding the infected worker’s movements or the duration of possible exposures. The affected employee was reported to have been onsite the week following their return from overseas before falling ill and testing positive.

Webuild’s involvement with the Snowy Hydro 2.0 project has previously attracted scrutiny, including a criminal prosecution by SafeWork NSW concerning safety breaches and near-fatal incidents involving drilling equipment. The company is also under financial and operational review, with a comprehensive “line-by-line” cost assessment of the project ordered by Snowy Hydro more than nine months ago but not yet publicly released. Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen recently stated he had not received a copy of the review.

In its most recent half-year financial report, Webuild disclosed an order backlog for Snowy Hydro 2.0 valued at £3.65 billion ($5.97 billion), although this figure predates the finalisation of the project’s cost review. This backlog remains higher than the original $5.5 billion contract value and approaches the revised $8.1 billion contract amount agreed upon in 2023 after a contractual reset.

The tuberculosis case adds another layer of complexity to an already challenging and closely monitored infrastructure project. Authorities and contractors continue to prioritise worker safety while advancing construction activities.