Workers have allegedly been served maggot-infested meals at a renewable energy project in far north Queensland, with fears of a gastro outbreak at the camp.
Union leaders blasted the Genex Pumped Storage Hydro Project at Kidston – a remote town inland of Townsville – for its unacceptable hygiene and food safety standards.
Photos of food allegedly served to workers on January 10 show larvae in a meal.
Maggot-infested meals allegedly served at the Genex Pumped Storage Hydro Project at Kidston in Far North Queensland.
“Three hours from the nearest shop, the only meals workers on the remote Kidston Hydro Project are being fed is infested with maggots,” CFMEU regional coordinator Chad Bradgon said.
“This is a serious health and safety failure from Genex and ISS and shows exactly why we need mandatory living standards on all remote work sites and camps.”
Electrical Trade Union state organiser Robert Hill said the standards were unacceptable, and he would not feed the food pictured to his dog.
Hill said the presence of larvae had workers concerned about what they could consume when their food was covered in sauces, such as gravy or curry.
“The presence of larvae in meals constitutes a clear breach of food safety standards and raises serious concerns about negligence in the handling, storage, and preparation of food as well as the standard and frequency of audit,” he said.
“Multiple workers have reported gastrointestinal illness over an extended period, and I experienced the same during my last visit.
