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State Significant Infrastructure

Determination

Snowy 2.0 - Main Works

Snowy Monaro Regional

Current Status: Determination

Interact with the stages for their names

  1. SEARs
  2. Prepare EIS
  3. Exhibition
  4. Collate Submissions
  5. Response to Submissions
  6. Assessment
  7. Recommendation
  8. Determination

Download the complete Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) below, or access a summary here.

The development of an underground pumped hydro power station and ancillary infrastructure.

Consolidated Approval

Consolidated Approval

Archive

Application (1)

SEARs (2)

EIS (64)

Response to Submissions (16)

Additional Information (2)

Determination (3)

Approved Documents

Management Plans and Strategies (19)

Reports (4)

Independent Reviews and Audits (9)

Note: Only documents approved by the Department after November 2019 will be published above. Any documents approved before this time can be viewed on the Applicant's website.

Complaints

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Enforcements

Three (3) Official Cautions issued to Snowy Hydro Limited (SSI-9687) Snowy Monaro Regional LGA 

On 19 September 2023, NSW Planning issued three Official Cautions to Snowy Hydro Limited for failing to submit the Long-Term Road Strategy, Recreational Fishing Management Plan and Recreation Management Plan for the Snowy 2.0 Main Works project to the satisfaction of the relevant agencies by the timeframes required by the relevant condition of approval. The Recreational Fishing Management Plan has subsequently been approved by the NSW DPI Director General and Snowy Hydro Limited continues to liaise with the relevant agencies and stakeholders in developing the documents. Snowy Hydro has submitted a request to the Planning Secretary in accordance with the conditions of approval, to stage the Long-term Road Strategy and Recreation Management Plan. 

Four (4) Penalty Notices Snowy Hydro Limited (SSI-9687) Snowy Monaro Regional LGA

On 19 September 2023, NSW Planning issued four $15,000 Penalty Notices to Snowy Hydro Limited for failing to submit the Rehabilitation Management Plan, Biosecurity Risk Management Plan, Threatened Fish Management Plan and Digital Strategy to the satisfaction of the relevant agencies by the required timeframes of the relevant condition of approval.  The Threatened Fish Management Plan has subsequently been approved by the NSW DPI Director General. Snowy Hydro Limited continue to liaise with the relevant agencies and stakeholders in developing the documents and has submitted a request to the Planning Secretary in accordance with the l conditions of approval to stage the remaining plans and strategies.

Inspections

18/06/2020

16/07/2020

8/10/2020

18/11/2020

19/11/2020

17/02/2021

17/02/2021

18/02/2021

21/04/2021

21/04/2021

22/04/2021

23/06/2021

23/06/2021

24/06/2021

15/02/2022

30/03/2022

21/04/2022

16/06/2022

7/07/2022

11/08/2022

17/11/2022

23/02/2023

7/03/2023

22/03/2023

17/05/2023

8/06/2023

14/06/2023

12/09/2023

24/10/2023

14/11/2023
 

Note: Only enforcements and inspections undertaken by the Department from March 2020 will be shown above.

Submissions

Filters
Showing 181 - 200 of 201 submissions
HERITAGE COUNCIL OF NSW
Comment
PARRAMATTA , New South Wales
Message
Please see attached response letter.
Attachments
Division of Resources & Geoscience
Support
MAITLAND , New South Wales
Message
Division of Resources & Geoscience advice attached.
Attachments
Office of the Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment
Comment
BRUCE , Australian Capital Territory
Message
Please find comments in the attached document.
Attachments
Reynella Rides
Comment
ADAMINABY , New South Wales
Message
From: John & Roslyn Rudd - Reynella Rides
To: The NSW Dept of Planning
Re: Public Submission regarding Snowy 2.0 Main Works

Reynella Rides has been licensed by NSW National Parks & Wildlife (NPWS) to operate a commercial horse riding tourism business in the Tantangara area of Kosciuszko National Park for the past 49 years. We offer three and five day horse riding holidays, taking guests into the Park from late October through to the end of April each year.

Over 49 years of operation Reynella has utilised the horse camp facilities at Old Snowy Camp, Currango Homestead, Tantangara Dam, Wares Yards and Rocky Plain, all in the Tantangara region of Kosciuszko National Park. Wares Yards is currently our most commonly used camping location. All (except one) of these camps are accessed via Tantangara Road.

Reynella operates under a multi-year license with the NPWS and works closely with them regarding logistics, guest numbers and camp locations. We have built a strong and positive relationship with National Parks over many years of operation and expect this to continue into the future.

As a local tourism business, Reynella has made significant contribution to the Adaminaby region over the past 49 years, supporting local businesses such as the supermarket, bakery, service station and mechanic as significant customers. Also boosting tourism in the region, bringing many visitors to Adaminaby and the National Park as well as creating local employment.

The Snowy 2.0 project will have an immediate impact on our tourism business for a minimum of three operating months with the proposed closure of Tantangara Road from April-December 2020. This will prevent access to the camping and riding locations we utilise at both the end of the 2020 and beginning of the 2021 riding seasons. Any delays to the completion of the road works will increase the timeframe of this immediate impact.

The direct impacts that Snowy 2.0 is expected to have on the Reynella Rides business is closure of Tantangara Road which will restrict operations due to having no access to suitable horse camps with the closure of Wares Yards campground. Rocky Plain campground will not be an alternative due to the traffic and noise impact from increased truck movements on the nearby Snowy Mountains Highway. Whilst we will work with National Parks to try and find a solution to this issue, there is currently no alternative location for the operation of Reynella Rides during the proposed period of Tantangara Road closure.

Other impacts on Reynella Rides will include:
Any increase in the proposed nine month closure of Tantangara Road will immediately increase the impact on operation of the business.
Potential long term restriction to business operation if Tantangara Road is not re-opened following road upgrades.
Visual, noise, traffic and dust impacts at camp sites reducing amenity for guests.
Visual, noise, traffic and dust impacts in the areas that Reynella take guests on horseback.
Uncertainty about long term access to suitable camping areas with horse facilities.
Reduction in water quality in the streams and rivers that are visited during the rides (and are often used as water source for thirsty guests).
Loss of the feeling of remote locations and pristine wilderness that Reynella Rides are known for due to construction activity and traffic impacts in the area.
Potential reduction in bookings due to project impacts in the area.

As multi generational residents of Adaminaby and with many many years spent around the Tantangara area, the other concerns that we have regarding the impacts of Snowy 2.0 include:

The Tantangara area is not only utilised by guests of Reynella Rides, it is also treasured by many locals and visitors from far and wide who independently camp, ride, fish, mountain bike and bush walk in the region. All recreational impacts of the project will affect all these visitors to the area.
Loss of the Wares Yards horse camp will significantly impact horse riders and even if access is maintained it will be affected by dust, noise and traffic, meaning it may be an undesirable location for camping even if it does remain open.
Rocky Plain will be undesirable as a camping location due to the traffic noise and dust from the significant increase in truck and vehicle traffic on the Snowy Mountains Highway
The horse camps in the Long Plain area of the park are already heavily utilised and at capacity in busy times, they will not provide a suitable alternative for the loss of Wares Yards and Rocky Plain horse camps.
Alternative horse camps and camping areas should be provided to offset the impact on recreational users and horse riders in the area. These need to be significant distance from the highway to minimise traffic impacts. We are happy to work with NPWS to identify alternative sites.
Old Snowy Camp and Currango Homestead will also be inaccessible while the Tantangara Road is closed (Port Phillip Fire Trail is not a suitable alternative as access is affected by lake levels)
Currango Homestead and heritage area, which is extremely significant in the areas history, is accessible via Tantangara Road and is a popular commercial accommodation operation for horse riders, fishermen and bushwalkers. Port Phillip Fire Trail does not provide suitable access to Currango as it is regularly closed subject to lake levels. The Currango Homestead has a permanent caretaker in residence who maintains the grounds and the buildings. If this ongoing maintenance is not ongoing during the project then the historic buildings and other features in the heritage precinct will deteriorate.
Tantangara Reservoir is a popular camping, boating and fishing spot which will be permanently changed and undoubtedly damaged by the impacts of Snowy 2.0. The visual beauty, water quality, fish and aquatic health, as well as the intake/outlet structure and spoil disposal site will all have long term impacts beyond the construction phase of the project.
The rivers and streams that flow from the Tantangara Reservoir are also at risk from water quality, fishing quality and from pest fish transfer - any impacts will impact on tourism and the fishing industry across the whole region.
The speed limit through the town of Adaminaby should be decreased to 60km/hour to reduce the risks posed by the increased traffic through town.

CONSULTATION WITH COMMERCIAL OPERATORS
Regarding consultation from Snowy Hydro, as a business that will be directly impacted by Snowy 2.0, we have had limited consultation from Snowy Hydro regarding the project to date.

The EIS states: “Regular meetings and updates have been provided to two horse riding tour businesses located close to KNP, specifically the one operator that regularly uses Tantangara Road and Wares Yards. Both operators fully understand the potential impacts of the 2.0 project on their businesses.”

Firstly, there are a number of commercial businesses that rely on the use of Tantangara Road to access this area of the park. This includes the two horse riding operators - Cochrane Horse Treks and Reynella as well as accommodation at Currango Homestead, Outward Bound, other outdoor education specialists and local fishing guides to name a few.

The two horse riding businesses that are licensed by NPWS to operate in the area (Reynella & Cochrane) are BOTH heavily reliant on the use of Tantangara road and both utilise Wares Yards. It is unclear if the “one” business referred to in the excerpt above is Reynella Rides or Cochrane Horse Treks. However we can state that Reynella has has not had any one-on-one meetings with Snowy Hydro regarding project impacts. When attending two of the local information sessions about the project we did speak with representatives from Snowy Hydro who provided general information about the project. There have been no “regular meetings and updates” and no discussions or specific information provided regarding the immediate impacts the project will have directly on our business as early as April next year with the closure of Tantangara Road.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment, we do support the project, but we hope that our concerns will be taken into account and addressed.

Regards,
Roslyn and John Rudd
Reynella Rides
699 Kingston Road
Adaminaby
Tel: 1800 029 909
ACT Conservator of Flora and Fauna
Comment
DICKSON , Australian Capital Territory
Message
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Snowy 2.0 – Main Works.

I note that the Snowy 2.0 EIS covers a range of topics mostly related to the construction of infrastructure within Kosciuszko National Park. To fully understand the impact of this proposal, further information is required that addresses the potential impacts of this development on a range of environmental, social and economic factors in the Murrumbidgee River catchment downstream of Tantangara Dam, including values held in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).

As the Conservator for Flora and Fauna for the ACT Government, I am concerned about the planned fish management approach and the potential impact on Murrumbidgee River fish populations, which are connected through to the ACT. I also have ongoing concerns regarding the reduction of natural environmental flow levels in the Upper Murrumbidgee River and the need to restore these to an environmentally sustainable level, consistent with the objectives of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

Pest and invasive fish
Talbingo Reservoir contains several pest and invasive fish species that are currently not present in Tantangara Reservoir, such as:
• Redfin Perch (Perca fluviatilis) (a pest species),
• Climbing Galaxias (Galaxias brevipinnis) (an invasive native species),
• Goldfish (Carassius auratus) (a pest species) and
• Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) (a pest species).

To reduce the risk of pest species invading new territory, I suggest that further consideration is given to additional controls such as screens at the tunnel entry point to prevent initial pest fish invasion of Tantangara Reservoir. The proposed use of screening to prevent them from leaving Tantangara Reservoir once pest species have become established has the potential to create a significant risk to protected fish species downstream, and in the ACT.

Protection of endangered species
The Murrumbidgee River downstream of Tantangara Reservoir contains the endangered fish, Macquarie Perch (Macquaria australasica), which links to the Murrumbidgee fish population in the ACT. Macquarie Perch are particularly susceptible to epizootic haematopoietic necrosis virus (EHN Virus) which is carried by the pest fish Redfin Perch. The establishment of Redfin Perch below Tantangara Dam would put the upper Murrumbidgee population of Macquarie Perch at much higher risk of extinction. The use of additional screens or similar at the Talbingo tunnel entry point to prevent initial pest fish invasion of Tantangara Reservoir would a be a lower risk management strategy and is recommended as a mitigation measure to reduce the risk to Macquarie perch.

River flows and water quality
The Murrumbidgee River is impounded by Tantangara Dam, and releases and discharges from Tantangara Reservoir pass downstream and through the ACT via the Murrumbidgee River. As such the flow, water quality and biota present in these waters have a direct impact on the ACT.

Only a small percentage (~9%) of inflows to Tantangara Reservoir are released downstream into the upper Murrumbidgee River, making this stretch of river one of the most disturbed and hydrologically stressed in the Murray-Darling Basin. This situation is contrary to the objectives of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan which sets out to achieve environmentally sustainable flow levels across river systems in the Basin including the upper Murrumbidgee. Peak daily discharge of releases is < 2 GL/day, which is inadequate for maintaining a range of vital hydrogeological functions, including the scouring of sediments from the river channel and pools, and promoting habitat connectivity for a multitude of aquatic organisms. It is not clear from the EIS documentation what operational rules will be applied to the operation of Tantangara Dam, or the impacts this will have on environmental flows, other flow releases or non-intentional discharges into the upper Murrumbidgee River.

I encourage the provision of further information that describes the operations of Tantangara Dam and releases into the Murrumbidgee River, including monitoring of pest species and assurances that there will be no detrimental change in flow regimes. Preferably the increased flexibility that Snowy Hydro 2.0 offers to flow management should be utilised to achieve a planned approach to achieving beneficial changes to environmental flows that will improve the river condition to restore these to an environmentally sustainable level, consistent with the objectives of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

Please contact Michaela Watts on (02) 6207 1831 if further information is required.



Ian Walker
ACT Conservator of Flora and Fauna
Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate

6 November 2019
Name Withheld
Support
PORT MELBOURNE , Victoria
Message
I strongly support the investment in reliable, on-demand renewable energy through the Snowy 2.0 Main Works. I believe this project is urgently required to strengthen and stabilise the NEM through the addition of large-scale storage capability to underpin a smooth transition to secure decarbonisation at lowest cost. This supports Australia’s obligations under the Paris Agreement

As outlined in the EIS, the NEM urgently needs more on-demand energy and large-scale storage to ensure Australia's secure and stable transition to renewables at lowest cost to consumers. This requirement has been confirmed by a number of independent sources, including the Finkel Review, the Integrated System Plan (ISP) prepared by AEMO, and the recently published ISP Insights paper.

I welcome the large scale community benefits as outlined in the EIS, “no new dams are required, because Snowy 2.0 uses two existing reservoirs which are of a scale that can provide up to 350,000 MWh of storage; Snowy Hydro has secured tenure for the Project and developed the project to a point that it can be delivered by the mid-2020s when storage is required by the NEM; the project will be integrated with and leverage off the capabilities of the existing Snowy Scheme; and the project is located between the two largest load centres in the NEM (Sydney and Melbourne) and in proximity to renewable energy zones in south western NSW and north western Victoria.”
Queanbeyan Anglers Club
Comment
CRESTWOOD , New South Wales
Message
A letter is being sent to the Department. The letter will be uploaded when it is finalised
Attachments
Andrew Lenart
Object
Northmead ,
Message
Attachments
Robyn Wrenford
Comment
Kosciuszko Huts Association
Comment
COOTAMUNDRA , New South Wales
Message
Re Closure of Tantangara Road
On behalf of Kosciuszko Huts Association and as the Huts Maintenance Officer coordinating huts maintenance works by caretaker groups in association with the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Our attached comments relate to the closure of Tantangara Road as an inhibitor to the application of the Burra Charter and the sustainable maintenance of the 'mountain huts' cultural heritage . Closure of Tantangra Road has the potential to prevent maintenance and in a worst case scenario lead to the complete deterioration and loss of the 'mountain huts 'in the Tantangara area.
Please see attached
Peter Charker
0449663769
Attachments
Mark Lintermans
Comment
Canberra ,
Message
See attached - from Mark Lintermans from Institute of Applied Ecology
Attachments
Rob Pallin
Object
MILSONS POINT , New South Wales
Message
Kosciuszko National Park is a special place and must be protected. This proposal seems to damage permanently large parts of this important park. If it cannot be done without this damage then other less important places must be found for pump storage.

I do support renewable energy and pump storage but not in this special place when so much damage will be done.

I support the submission from the National Parks Association of NSW.
Ian Scott
Object
Woodend , Victoria
Message
Please read the attached document
Attachments
DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY
Comment
,
Message
attached
Attachments
Environment, Energy and Science Group of the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment
Comment
Sydney ,
Message
Attachments
Name Withheld
Object
BOLARO , New South Wales
Message
Thank you for the opportunity to comment - I am concerned as a road user, a land manager, and as a teacher at Cabramurra.
Attachments
ROADS AND MARITIME SERVICES DIVISION
Comment
,
Message
Please find attached RMS response
Attachments
Name Withheld
Object
Box Hill ,
Message
Attachments
Inland Rivers Network
Object
Pyrmont ,
Message
Attachments
James Pittock
Comment
Acton ,
Message
See attached.

Professor Jamie Pittock
Fenner School of Environment and Society
The Australian National University

Contact: [email protected]

Professor Don Driscoll
Director, Centre for Integrative Ecology
President, Ecological Society of Australia
School of Life and Environmental Sciences
Deakin University

Emeritus Professor Geoffrey Hope
College of Asia and Pacific
The Australian National University

Emeritus Professor Philip (Sam) Lake,
School of Biological Sciences,
Monash University.

Professor Adrienne Nicotra
Research School of Biology
The Australian National University

Dr Chloe Sato
Fenner School of Environment and Society
The Australian National University

For further information, see Anna Normyle & Jamie Pittock (2019): A review of the impacts of
pumped hydro energy storage construction on subalpine and alpine biodiversity: lessons
for the Snowy Mountains pumped hydro expansion project, Australian Geographer, DOI:
10.1080/00049182.2019.1684625
Attachments

Pagination

Project Details

Application Number
SSI-9687
EPBC ID Number
2018/8322
Assessment Type
State Significant Infrastructure
Local Government Areas
Snowy Monaro Regional
Decision
Approved
Determination Date
Decider
Minister
Last Modified By
SSI-9687-Mod-2
Last Modified On
30/11/2023

Contact Planner

Name
Anthony Ko