A sinkhole, toxic gas release, and massive cost overrun have disrupted the Snowy 2.0 project. 

Originally estimated at $2 billion, new reports say the project's budget has swelled to $12 billion, with a significant portion attributed to the halted tunnel boring machine, Florence.

The trouble began when the massive machine, Florence, encountered soft ground issues even before its launch in March 2022. 

Workers had warned of soft ground around 100 metres into the tunnel, which led to water gushing in. 

Despite these early signs, Florence was deployed as planned, and it encountered further difficulties once operational, frequently getting bogged down due to mud and water accumulation.

Snowy Hydro, however, kept the public in the dark about these issues, portraying Florence as “progressing steadily through poor ground conditions”. 

Critics argue that the project misled the public about its progress and safety.

An attempt to stabilise the ground around Florence has allegedly resulted in the release of toxic gas into the tunnel. 

Additionally, the project's cost overrun has raised concerns, as it was initially intended to power 3 million homes by next year, but now the earliest power generation is expected to be four years away. 

More details are accessible here.