Snowy River Flows Threatened Unless Snowy Water Licence Changed

Monday, 04 February 2008 21:11

TEC Water Campaigner Mr Leigh Martin said "The current water licence granted to Snowy Hydro Limited could allow crucial environmental water releases to the Snowy River to be suspended or severely curtailed. This is despite agreement between the NSW, Victorian and Commonwealth Governments to provide staged water releases to increase flows and restore the Snowy River”.

The current review of the Snowy Water Licence provides a crucial opportunity to reform the licence and safeguard Snowy River flows. Of particular concern is a so called “override provision” that allows Snowy Hydro and the NSW Ministerial Water Corporation to vary the volume of water targeted for release from Jindabyne Dam. Significantly, no criteria are provided by which such a decision would need to be justified.

“The program of releases to restore the Snowy River is the result of extensive community consultation and scientific investigation through the Snowy Water Inquiry. It is unacceptable that this program could be varied by simple agreement between the Ministerial Corporation and Snowy Hydro,” Mr Martin said.

Also of concern are requirements for increased spills from Jindabyne Dam to be paid back from Snowy River water releases in future years.

“Dam spills in wet years should be regarded as a natural and unavoidable event. Requiring payback from Snowy River water releases could seriously disrupt the program of environmental flows for years to come and provide a major setback to the restoration of this iconic Australian river,” Mr Martin said.

Another crucial issue is the need to restore connectivity between the Snowy and Mowamba Rivers. In 2002 an aqueduct diverting the Mowamba River into Jindabyne Dam was decommissioned, allowing the Mowamba to become a natural montane headwater for the Snowy system. In 2006, however, this diversion was recommissioned.

“Restoring connectivity between the Snowy and Mowamba Rivers is crucial to the long term health of the Snowy River. The Snowy needs a montane headwater with natural variation in flows.  The licence should be amended to clearly require the permanent decommissioning of the Mowamba River diversion,” Mr Martin said.