[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":520},["ShallowReactive",2],{"active-categories":3,"blowouts":28,"story-\u002Fstories\u002Fsnowy-2-0-cost-blowout-25-billion":83,"related-\u002Fstories\u002Fsnowy-2-0-cost-blowout-25-billion":477,"surround-\u002Fstories\u002Fsnowy-2-0-cost-blowout-25-billion":511},[4,6,8,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27],{"category":5},"follow-the-money",{"category":7},"cost-of-living",{"category":9},"government-waste",{"category":9},{"category":9},{"category":7},{"category":7},{"category":9},{"category":9},{"category":5},{"category":9},{"category":9},{"category":7},{"category":9},{"category":9},{"category":9},{"category":7},{"category":5},{"category":7},{"category":9},{"category":9},[29,39,49,58,66,75],{"path":30,"title":31,"category":9,"date":32,"blowout":33},"\u002Fstories\u002Fbom-website-96-million-one-year-on","One year on: the BOM website that cost $96.5 million, not $4 million","2026-10-24",{"project":34,"originalCost":35,"currentCost":36,"announced":37,"note":38},"BOM website",4100000,96500000,"2025","$4.1m was the figure first given to the public.",{"path":40,"title":41,"category":9,"date":42,"blowout":43},"\u002Fstories\u002Fcross-river-rail-cost-blowout-19-billion","Cross River Rail was sold as a $5.4 billion project. The government now says it costs $19 billion","2026-10-25",{"project":44,"originalCost":45,"currentCost":46,"announced":47,"note":48},"Cross River Rail",5400000000,19041000000,"2017","Queensland Government figure (Oct 2025). It includes 25 years of tunnel maintenance and network works; Labor disputes counting them.",{"path":50,"title":51,"category":9,"date":42,"blowout":52},"\u002Fstories\u002Fhunter-class-frigates-27-billion-three-ships","Hunter-class frigates: sold as nine warships for $35 billion. We're now paying $27 billion for three",{"project":53,"originalCost":54,"currentCost":55,"announced":56,"note":57},"Hunter-class frigates",35000000000,45600000000,"2018","2020 Force Structure Plan estimate for nine ships. The program is now six ships; close to $27bn is allocated for the first three, including the Osborne shipyard.",{"path":59,"title":60,"category":9,"date":42,"blowout":61},"\u002Fstories\u002Finland-rail-cost-blowout-45-billion-parkes","Inland Rail was sold as a $10.7 billion project. It now costs $45.6 billion, and stops at Parkes",{"project":62,"originalCost":63,"currentCost":55,"announced":64,"note":65},"Inland Rail",10660000000,"2015","Both P90 estimates for the full Melbourne to Brisbane line. Only Beveridge to Parkes is now being built.",{"path":67,"title":68,"category":9,"date":42,"blowout":69},"\u002Fstories\u002Fnorth-east-link-cost-blowout-26-billion","North East Link was sold as a $10 billion road. It now costs $26 billion",{"project":70,"originalCost":71,"currentCost":72,"announced":73,"note":74},"North East Link",10000000000,26100000000,"2016","Victoria's December 2023 estimate. Includes the Eastern Freeway and M80 upgrades added since.",{"path":76,"title":77,"category":9,"date":42,"blowout":78},"\u002Fstories\u002Fsnowy-2-0-cost-blowout-25-billion","Snowy 2.0 was sold as a $2 billion project. It could now cost $25 billion",{"project":79,"originalCost":80,"currentCost":81,"announced":47,"note":82},"Snowy 2.0",2000000000,22200000000,"Target cost. Up to $25bn with contingency; transmission not included.",{"id":84,"title":77,"author":85,"bigNumber":86,"bigNumberLabel":87,"blowout":88,"body":89,"category":9,"date":42,"description":428,"draft":429,"extension":430,"featured":431,"focusKeywords":432,"image":436,"imageAlt":437,"meta":438,"navigation":431,"path":76,"people":439,"readingTime":440,"refresh":441,"seo":442,"shareImage":443,"sources":444,"stem":469,"tags":470,"updated":475,"__hash__":476},"stories\u002Fstories\u002Fsnowy-2-0-cost-blowout-25-billion.md","Aussie Outrage","12x","Snowy 2.0's possible final cost compared with the 2017 price tag",{"project":79,"originalCost":80,"currentCost":81,"announced":47,"note":82},{"type":90,"value":91,"toc":416},"minimark",[92,101,112,118,123,128,138,215,235,238,242,253,259,269,275,279,282,343,349,353,360,364,367,370,373,377,380,383,387,390,393,407,411],[93,94,95,96,100],"p",{},"Snowy 2.0 began in March 2017, when Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced a nation-building idea: expand the Snowy Mountains Scheme into a giant \"battery\" that pumps water uphill when power is cheap and releases it when power is scarce. The cost was about ",[97,98,99],"strong",{},"$2 billion",", and power was promised by 2021.",[93,102,103,104,107,108,111],{},"On 22 October 2026, Snowy Hydro released its latest reassessment. The new target is ",[97,105,106],{},"$22.2 billion",", with a contingency that could take the total to ",[97,109,110],{},"$25 billion",". First power has moved to early 2029, with full operation later that year.",[113,114],"big-stat",{"label":115,"source":116,"value":117},"Possible final cost of Snowy 2.0, against an original $2bn estimate","Snowy Hydro reassessment, October 2026","$25bn",[119,120],"slide-carousel",{":slides":121,"label":122},"[{\"src\":\"\u002Fcarousels\u002Fsnowy-2-0-cost-blowout-25-billion\u002F01.jpg\",\"alt\":\"Snowy 2.0 was announced at $2 billion in 2017 and could now cost up to $25 billion, about 12 times more. Pipelines on the Snowy Mountains Scheme\"},{\"src\":\"\u002Fcarousels\u002Fsnowy-2-0-cost-blowout-25-billion\u002F02.jpg\",\"alt\":\"Snowy 2.0 was announced in March 2017 at $2 billion with power by 2021; the October 2026 target is $22.2 billion, up to $25 billion with contingency, and first power is now early 2029\"},{\"src\":\"\u002Fcarousels\u002Fsnowy-2-0-cost-blowout-25-billion\u002F03.jpg\",\"alt\":\"Snowy 2.0's cost estimates: about $2 billion in March 2017, $4.5 billion in December 2017, $6.1 billion before the 2023 reset, about $12 billion in August 2023 and $22.2 billion, up to $25 billion, in October 2026, not counting interest or transmission\"},{\"src\":\"\u002Fcarousels\u002Fsnowy-2-0-cost-blowout-25-billion\u002F04.jpg\",\"alt\":\"What went wrong on Snowy 2.0: the tunnel boring machine Florence was stuck in soft ground for around 11 months, the design was immature at the final investment decision, and taxpayers kept the ground-condition risk\"},{\"src\":\"\u002Fcarousels\u002Fsnowy-2-0-cost-blowout-25-billion\u002F05.jpg\",\"alt\":\"Snowy Hydro chief executive Dennis Barnes: \\\"There's never any guarantees with mega projects.\\\" The ANAO found $11.1 billion had already been spent by 31 March 2026\"},{\"src\":\"\u002Fcarousels\u002Fsnowy-2-0-cost-blowout-25-billion\u002F06.jpg\",\"alt\":\"In September 2025 Snowy Hydro executives shared more than $1 million in bonuses, the CEO's reported share $323,000, a month before it admitted it needed more money\"},{\"src\":\"\u002Fcarousels\u002Fsnowy-2-0-cost-blowout-25-billion\u002F07.jpg\",\"alt\":\"The jump from $2 billion to $22.2 billion works out to about $720 for every Australian, and every dollar is public because Snowy Hydro is wholly owned by the Commonwealth\"}]","Snowy 2.0's blowout in 7 slides",[124,125,127],"h2",{"id":126},"the-price-tag-year-by-year","The price tag, year by year",[129,130],"line-chart",{":data":131,"note":132,"prefix":133,"source":134,"subtitle":135,"suffix":136,"title":137},"[{\"x\":\"2017-03\",\"y\":2,\"label\":\"Announced: $2bn\",\"position\":\"right\"},{\"x\":\"2017-12\",\"y\":4.5,\"note\":\"Feasibility study\"},{\"x\":\"2023-08\",\"y\":12,\"label\":\"Reset: ~$12bn\"},{\"x\":\"2026-10\",\"y\":22.2,\"label\":\"Now: $22.2bn\",\"note\":\"Reassessment target. Up to $25bn with contingency.\"}]","October 2026 shows the $22.2bn target. Snowy Hydro says contingency could take it to $25bn. Transmission lines are not included.","$","Snowy Hydro; ABC News (3 Jun and 22 Oct 2026); Construction Briefing","Official cost estimates, billions of dollars","bn","Snowy 2.0's price tag, estimate by estimate",[139,140,141,157],"table",{},[142,143,144],"thead",{},[145,146,147,151,154],"tr",{},[148,149,150],"th",{},"When",[148,152,153],{},"Estimated cost",[148,155,156],{},"Promised completion",[158,159,160,172,182,193,204],"tbody",{},[145,161,162,166,169],{},[163,164,165],"td",{},"March 2017 (announcement)",[163,167,168],{},"~$2bn",[163,170,171],{},"2021",[145,173,174,177,180],{},[163,175,176],{},"December 2017 (feasibility study)",[163,178,179],{},"$4.5bn",[163,181],{},[145,183,184,187,190],{},[163,185,186],{},"Before the 2023 reset",[163,188,189],{},"$6.1bn",[163,191,192],{},"May 2026",[145,194,195,198,201],{},[163,196,197],{},"August 2023 (project reset)",[163,199,200],{},"~$12bn",[163,202,203],{},"December 2028",[145,205,206,209,212],{},[163,207,208],{},"October 2026 (reassessment)",[163,210,211],{},"$22.2bn, up to $25bn",[163,213,214],{},"Late 2029",[93,216,217,218,221,222,225,226,229,230,234],{},"That's a project that has become ",[97,219,220],{},"11 to 12 times"," more expensive and is running ",[97,223,224],{},"eight years late",". It isn't the only federal megaproject to blow out by billions: ",[227,228,62],"a",{"href":59}," was sold as a $10.7 billion project and now costs $45.6 billion. See how they compare on our ",[227,231,233],{"href":232},"\u002Fblowouts","blowout leaderboard",".",[93,236,237],{},"And Snowy 2.0's cost figures don't include the interest on the money borrowed, or the new transmission lines needed to connect it to the grid. Energy executive Ted Woodley and economist Bruce Mountain have estimated that adding interest and a share of the new transmission lines takes the cost to about $42 billion. Snowy Hydro called their figures unsubstantiated, and others dispute how much transmission should be counted. It is not an official figure, but it shows how much sits outside the headline number.",[124,239,241],{"id":240},"what-went-wrong","What went wrong",[93,243,244,247,248,252],{},[97,245,246],{},"The ground fought back."," In February 2023, the tunnel boring machine ",[249,250,251],"em",{},"Florence"," hit soft ground 150 metres into a 15-kilometre tunnel, the ground above collapsed into a sinkhole, and the machine sat stuck for around 11 months. Under the 2023 reset, Snowy Hydro (and so taxpayers) kept the risk of unknown ground conditions, the ANAO found.",[93,254,255,258],{},[97,256,257],{},"The design wasn't finished."," Snowy Hydro's reassessment says \"the design of the project was immature when the final investment for the project was made\", and that its main contractor, the Future Generation Joint Venture (Webuild, Clough and Lane), \"failed to meet productivity targets as a result of the construction complexities\".",[93,260,261,264,265,268],{},[97,262,263],{},"Nobody was holding the contractors to account."," In June 2026 the Australian National Audit Office found Snowy Hydro's management of the project since the 2023 reset was only \"partly effective\". It found \"significant deficiencies\": there is no agreed baseline schedule, the incentive framework for contractors \"is not working as intended\", there are not enough controls over payments to secondary subcontractors, and Snowy Hydro \"did not seek external verification of its own costs\" before the reset. As of 31 March 2026, ",[97,266,267],{},"$11.1 billion"," had already been spent.",[93,270,271,274],{},[97,272,273],{},"More people, for longer."," About 5,000 people now work on the project, which Snowy Hydro chief executive Dennis Barnes said is \"obviously a lot more than we thought in 2023\".",[124,276,278],{"id":277},"how-far-along-is-snowy-20","How far along is Snowy 2.0?",[93,280,281],{},"Most of the digging is done. Snowy Hydro's October 2026 update compares progress now with the 2023 reset:",[139,283,284,297],{},[142,285,286],{},[145,287,288,291,294],{},[148,289,290],{},"Part of the project",[148,292,293],{},"At the 2023 reset",[148,295,296],{},"October 2026",[158,298,299,310,321,332],{},[145,300,301,304,307],{},[163,302,303],{},"Drill-and-blast tunnels",[163,305,306],{},"20%",[163,308,309],{},"95%",[145,311,312,315,318],{},[163,313,314],{},"Tunnels dug by boring machine",[163,316,317],{},"19%",[163,319,320],{},"65%",[145,322,323,326,329],{},[163,324,325],{},"Excavation of the underground power station complex",[163,327,328],{},"2%",[163,330,331],{},"90%",[145,333,334,337,340],{},[163,335,336],{},"Construction design",[163,338,339],{},"44%",[163,341,342],{},"96%",[93,344,345,346,348],{},"More than 5,000 people are working on it. First power is expected in early 2029 and the new target completion date is late 2029. By 31 March 2026, ",[97,347,267],{}," had already been spent, the ANAO found.",[124,350,352],{"id":351},"bonuses-anyway","Bonuses anyway",[93,354,355,356,359],{},"In September 2025, a month before Snowy Hydro admitted it would need more money, its executives shared ",[97,357,358],{},"more than $1 million in bonuses"," for meeting non-financial targets, despite missing financial ones. The chief executive's share was reported as $323,000.",[124,361,363],{"id":362},"who-pays-for-snowy-20s-cost-blowout","Who pays for Snowy 2.0's cost blowout?",[93,365,366],{},"Snowy Hydro says \"the $22.2 billion target cost is not the amount that will have to be funded by taxpayers\". At the previous $12 billion estimate, it says, \"around one-third or $4 billion, was Commonwealth investment in the company that Snowy Hydro did not need to repay\". The majority was funded by government and bank loans that Snowy must repay with interest, and by Snowy's own cash flows.",[93,368,369],{},"How the extra $10.2 billion will be paid for hasn't been settled. \"Work is underway on the Commonwealth's preferred capital strategy at the new cost,\" Snowy Hydro says.",[93,371,372],{},"But Snowy Hydro is wholly owned by the Commonwealth. The loans it repays come out of the earnings of a company the public owns.",[124,374,376],{"id":375},"what-youre-getting-for-it","What you're getting for it",[93,378,379],{},"When finished, Snowy 2.0 will link the Tantangara and Talbingo reservoirs through 27 kilometres of tunnels to a power station 800 metres underground, with 2,200 megawatts of capacity. Snowy Hydro says it could power three million homes for a week. ANU energy researcher Andrew Blakers says that when it's finished it will provide \"more than 80 per cent of all the energy storage in Australia all by itself\". A GHD study estimates more than $7 billion in lower wholesale electricity costs by 2075.",[93,381,382],{},"Those benefits may be real. But Australians were told they would get them for $2 billion in 2021, not up to $25 billion in 2029.",[124,384,386],{"id":385},"whos-to-blame","Who's to blame?",[93,388,389],{},"Energy Minister Chris Bowen and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher say walking away would scrap 5,000 jobs, and that \"the former Coalition government left behind a project facing major delays, rising costs and serious delivery risks\". Shadow Energy Minister Dan Tehan says \"Chris Bowen should apologise to the Australian taxpayer and resign\".",[93,391,392],{},"Both sides have had their hands on Snowy 2.0. Both sides signed off on the money. And Snowy Hydro's chief executive is making no promises about the new figure: \"There's never any guarantees with mega projects,\" he said.",[93,394,395,398,399,402,403,234],{},[97,396,397],{},"Your share:"," the jump from $2 billion to $22.2 billion works out to about ",[97,400,401],{},"$720 for every Australian"," (on a population of about 27.9 million). For scale, this year's interest bill on the national debt, $27.7 billion, is more than Snowy 2.0's entire target cost: see the ",[227,404,406],{"href":405},"\u002Fdebt-clock","debt clock",[408,409],"faq",{":items":410},"[{\"q\":\"How much will Snowy 2.0 cost?\",\"a\":\"Snowy Hydro's target cost is $22.2 billion, with an allowance for a cost scenario of $25 billion, after its October 2026 reassessment. Snowy 2.0 was announced in March 2017 at about $2 billion.\"},{\"q\":\"How much has been spent on Snowy 2.0?\",\"a\":\"$11.1 billion had been spent on Snowy 2.0 by 31 March 2026, according to the Australian National Audit Office.\"},{\"q\":\"Why is Snowy 2.0 so expensive?\",\"a\":\"Snowy Hydro blames a design that was immature when the investment decision was made, construction complexity that saw its main contractor miss productivity targets, the contractor underestimating the job, and global cost escalation. The ANAO found Snowy Hydro's management of the project since the 2023 reset was only \\\"partly effective\\\".\"},{\"q\":\"When will Snowy 2.0 be finished?\",\"a\":\"Snowy Hydro expects first power in early 2029 and has set a target completion date of late 2029. When Snowy 2.0 was announced in 2017, power was promised by 2021.\"},{\"q\":\"Who is paying for Snowy 2.0?\",\"a\":\"Snowy Hydro, which is wholly owned by the Commonwealth. At the previous $12 billion estimate, about $4 billion was Commonwealth investment it didn't have to repay, and most of the rest came from government and bank loans it must repay with interest, plus its own cash flows. How the higher cost will be funded hadn't been settled as of October 2026.\"},{\"q\":\"Who is building Snowy 2.0?\",\"a\":\"The main contractor is the Future Generation Joint Venture, made up of Webuild, Clough and Lane, working for Snowy Hydro.\"},{\"q\":\"Is Snowy 2.0 going ahead?\",\"a\":\"Yes. Energy Minister Chris Bowen and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher say walking away would scrap 5,000 jobs, and called it \\\"an incredible national asset\\\" once completed. In October 2026 Snowy Hydro said its drill-and-blast tunnels were 95% complete and its machine-bored tunnels 65%.\"}]",[93,412,413],{},[249,414,415],{},"Snowy Hydro is wholly owned by the Commonwealth. Whether it's paid for with taxpayer equity, loans Snowy must repay, or Snowy's own earnings, the money is public.",{"title":417,"searchDepth":418,"depth":419,"links":420},"",2,3,[421,422,423,424,425,426,427],{"id":126,"depth":418,"text":127},{"id":240,"depth":418,"text":241},{"id":277,"depth":418,"text":278},{"id":351,"depth":418,"text":352},{"id":362,"depth":418,"text":363},{"id":375,"depth":418,"text":376},{"id":385,"depth":418,"text":386},"Snowy 2.0 was sold at $2 billion in 2017. Snowy Hydro's new target cost is $22.2 billion, up to $25 billion, and first power is now 2029. How it blew out.",false,"md",true,[433,434,435],"snowy 2.0 cost","snowy hydro 2.0 cost","snowy 2.0 cost blowout","\u002Fimages\u002Fsnowy-hydro.jpg","Pipelines run down a hillside to a power station on the Snowy Mountains Scheme",{},[],9,null,{"title":77,"description":428},"\u002Fcarousels\u002Fsnowy-2-0-cost-blowout-25-billion\u002F01.jpg",[445,448,451,454,457,460,463,466],{"title":446,"url":447},"Snowy Hydro: Snowy 2.0 cost reassessment complete (22 Oct 2026)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.snowyhydro.com.au\u002Fnews\u002Fsnowy-2-0-cost-reassessment-complete\u002F",{"title":449,"url":450},"2026-27 Budget Paper 1, Statement 7: Debt Statement (interest on government securities)","https:\u002F\u002Fbudget.gov.au\u002Fcontent\u002Fbp1\u002Fdownload\u002Fbp1_bs-7.pdf",{"title":452,"url":453},"ABC News: Review finds delayed Snowy 2.0 hydropower project could cost up to $25b (22 Oct 2026)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.abc.net.au\u002Fnews\u002F2026-10-22\u002Fcost-of-snowy-hydro-expansion-doubles\u002F107276162",{"title":455,"url":456},"ABC News: Billions over budget and years late: How Snowy 2.0 got here (3 Jun 2026)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.abc.net.au\u002Fnews\u002F2026-06-03\u002Fbillions-over-budget-years-late-how-snowy-hydro-2-got-here\u002F106706518",{"title":458,"url":459},"Australian National Audit Office: Delivery of Snowy 2.0, Auditor-General Report No. 39 of 2025-26 (18 Jun 2026)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.anao.gov.au\u002Fwork\u002Fperformance-audit\u002Fdelivery-of-snowy-two-point-zero",{"title":461,"url":462},"ABC News: Auditors say Snowy 2.0 not holding contractors accountable (18 Jun 2026)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.abc.net.au\u002Fnews\u002F2026-06-18\u002Fauditors-say-snowy-2-0-not-holding-contractors-accountable\u002F106700336",{"title":464,"url":465},"Construction Briefing: Snowy 2.0 cost blowout could hit A$25bn (23 Oct 2026)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.constructionbriefing.com\u002Fnews\u002Fsnowy-hydro-20-cost-blowout-could-hit-a25bn\u002F8134663.article",{"title":467,"url":468},"RenewEconomy: Critics predict fresh Snowy 2.0 cost blowouts (on the Woodley and Mountain estimate)","https:\u002F\u002Freneweconomy.com.au\u002Ftoo-big-to-fail-snowy-2-0-critics-predict-fresh-cost-blowouts-while-others-say-its-far-too-late-to-turn-back\u002F","stories\u002Fsnowy-2-0-cost-blowout-25-billion",[471,472,473,474],"snowy-hydro","energy","infrastructure","blowouts","2026-10-27","qKqrST5rwOq0jZKJ1BGVVW--jo6oSts4eIbBuop1Y1Y",[478,486,495,503],{"path":479,"title":480,"description":481,"date":482,"category":9,"author":85,"image":441,"imageAlt":441,"bigNumber":483,"bigNumberLabel":484,"readingTime":485,"featured":429},"\u002Fstories\u002Fsuburban-rail-loop-cost-96-billion","Suburban Rail Loop cost: $50bn promised, $96.4bn forecast","How much will the Suburban Rail Loop cost? $33.3bn for stage one, says the government, but the Auditor-General says it could top $36bn. Two stages: $96.4bn.","2026-11-01","$96.4bn","What Victoria's Parliamentary Budget Office estimated in 2024 it would cost to build two sections of the loop. All of it was promised for $50bn.",12,{"path":487,"title":488,"description":489,"date":490,"category":9,"author":85,"image":491,"imageAlt":492,"bigNumber":493,"bigNumberLabel":494,"readingTime":418,"featured":429},"\u002Fstories\u002Fbig-build-office-pot-plants-1-6-million","$1.6 million on pot plants for Big Build offices","Rail Projects Victoria spent an estimated $1.64 million on plant hire and maintenance, and the Suburban Rail Loop Authority almost $200,000 more, according to the state opposition.","2026-10-26","\u002Fimages\u002Foffice-plants-desk.jpg","Small potted succulents on a timber office desk","$1.6m","Estimated spend on plant hire and maintenance at Rail Projects Victoria",{"path":496,"title":497,"description":498,"date":490,"category":9,"author":85,"image":499,"imageAlt":500,"bigNumber":501,"bigNumberLabel":502,"readingTime":418,"featured":429},"\u002Fstories\u002Fcommonwealth-games-cancelled-589-million","$589 million to host nothing: what cancelling the Commonwealth Games cost Victoria","Victoria pulled out of the 2026 Commonwealth Games to save money. The Auditor-General found walking away cost $589 million with no discernible benefit, and the $6.9 billion figure used to justify it was overstated.","\u002Fimages\u002Feureka-stadium-ballarat.jpg","An aerial view of Eureka Stadium in Ballarat, with a blue athletics track behind it","$589m","What Victoria paid to cancel the 2026 Commonwealth Games",{"path":504,"title":505,"description":506,"date":490,"category":9,"author":85,"image":507,"imageAlt":508,"bigNumber":509,"bigNumberLabel":510,"readingTime":418,"featured":429},"\u002Fstories\u002Fmachete-ban-13-million-bins","The $13 million machete ban: what the money actually pays for","Victoria set aside $13 million for its machete ban and amnesty bins. The bins cost about $2,400 each. The government still hasn't said where the rest of the money goes.","\u002Fimages\u002Fmachete-amnesty-bin-echuca.jpg","A navy steel bin labelled Machete Amnesty Safe Disposal Bin outside Echuca police station","$13m","Budgeted for Victoria's machete ban, including about 45 disposal bins",[512,517],{"title":513,"path":514,"stem":515,"description":516,"children":-1},"How to move a profit offshore: the 9% loan and the Singapore hub","\u002Fstories\u002Fprofit-shifting-money-trail-chevron-rio-tinto","stories\u002Fprofit-shifting-money-trail-chevron-rio-tinto","Two real cases, one decided in court and one settled with the tax office for about $1 billion, show how multinationals can shrink an Australian tax bill. Follow the money, step by step.",{"title":31,"path":30,"stem":518,"description":519,"children":-1},"stories\u002Fbom-website-96-million-one-year-on","The weather bureau's redesign launched days before a wild storm weekend, confused farmers, and cost 23 times what Australians were first told. Then the same contractor won more work.",1793586230216]