New figures reveal extent of injuries, incidents on NSW government road projects

Following revelations a woman was hurt during an unauthorised Christmas party in a tunnel, a new dossier has revealed dozens of other serious incidents.

Kangaroos, snakes and even police pursuits feature in a growing list of incidents that have resulted in injuries at construction sites overseen by the state government’s transport department.

A dossier published by NSW Parliament has revealed the dangers that can come with working in the construction sector, with dozens of serious incidents recorded on road sites overseen by Transport for NSW since January last year.

The figures were published in response to revelations an unauthorised Christmas party, held inside the Sydney Gateway motorway project last year, left a woman with serious injuries, including fractured ribs, when a gust of wind caused scaffolding to topple onto guests.

Since January 2023, 80 other incidents have occurred on government transport and upgrade sites overseen by Transport for NSW on projects including the Coffs Harbour Bypass and WestConnex.

In one incident, a contract worker on the Newcastle Inner City Bypass sustained head and spinal injuries when they lost control of a heavy vehicle and collided with a sediment basin wall.

The Sydney Gateway project under construction.

At the Coffs Harbour Bypass construction site, a contract worker sustained burns to both hands while refuelling a pump engine using a jerry can when a pouring spout caught fire.

Another worker on the bypass also sustained fractured ribs after a mobile plant rolled over as the operator lost control while going down an access ramp.

Meanwhile, a worker on the WestConnex was hospitalised after his leg became trapped under a 200kg load of precast stud piles.

An aerial view of the Coffs Harbour Bypass project.

At the M6 Stage 1 Project worksite, a contract worker sustained a shoulder injury after falling about two meters when a scaffold failed in a shaft.

There have also been a number of serious incidents involving collisions between transport workers and cars driven by members of the public, including on the M1 on the Central Coast, when a B-double truck disregarded warnings, entered a work zone, and collided with a contract worker who had to be taken to hospital with suspected spine and neck injuries.

In July this year, a worker on the Newcastle Inner City Bypass worksite was struck by a speeding car involved in a police pursuit when it crashed into bollards and struck a worker.

Although the police had their lights on, there were no sirens, giving the worker limited time to avoid being hit.

The entrance to the WestConnex tunnel.

The figures show other incidents included contractors and a passenger who sustained serious injuries when their vehicle veered off the road to avoid hitting a kangaroo, causing it to roll over on a road project in Dubbo

At a temporary worksite in Gerringong, on the NSW south coast, a snake bit a worker’s clothing, causing them to fall and twist their ankle.

In state parliament, Roads Minister John Graham said “keeping people safe in transport, specifically on transport sites, is always on the mind of Transport (for NSW) employees and on my mind as the minister”

John Holland – a company contracted to build the Sydney Gateway project – said in a statement last month that the incident inside the project had been “investigated” and steps have been taken “to prevent this happening again”.

Mr Graham said the event was not properly authorised and should not have occurred, adding that “had approval been sought, it would not have been granted”.