Momentum builds for review of environmental water releases from Snowy Hydro Scheme
The Forgotten River campaign says the Murrumbidgee ran dry at Tharwa ACT in 2019. (Supplied: Simon Lowes)
The New South Wales government says it is time a 21-year-old water agreement is reviewed due to concerns that not enough water is flowing into the Upper Murrumbidgee River.
Key points:
- Scientists and environmentalists say the Upper Murrumbidgee regularly receives less than 10 per cent of its historical flows
- The federal government is in support of the NSW government's call for a review
- The Victorian government says it is seeking more detail about the scope of the proposed review
Scientists and environmental groups have been raising concerns about the Snowy Water Inquiry outcomes implementation deed (SWIOID) and its ecological impacts on the rivers affected by the creation of Tantangara Dam in the 1960s.
The SWIOID governs how much environmental water is required to be released by the Snowy Hydro Scheme into these rivers, in accordance with its water licence and as part of an agreement of between the NSW, Victorian and federal governments.
An independent review of the SWIOID published by the CSIRO last year found it had repeatedly failed to achieve its targeted annual flows for the Snowy River.
A spokesperson for the NSW Department of Planning and Environment said the government considered it "timely to review the deed, given the significant changes that have occurred since 2002".
They cited changes in the ownership of Snowy Hydro, new Snowy 2.0 infrastructure, the changing climate, energy and water demand patterns, major environmental water reforms across the Murray-Darling Basin and increasing concerns about the ecological condition of the Upper Murrumbidgee River.
No timeline has been set for a potential review.
Siwan Lovett says there needs to be more water flowing through the Upper Murrumbidgee River. (Supplied: Tom Clarke)
Forgotten River campaign
The Upper Murrumbidgee River flows from the alpine peaks of NSW into Tantangara Dam, continues through the Monaro region into the ACT and on into Burrinjuck Dam in the NSW South West Slopes.
A collection of scientists say the river's health is being impacted by the large amount of headwater being captured by the Snowy Scheme.
They have formed the Forgotten River campaign to call for a review of the SWIOID and for the Upper Murrumbidgee River to be included in the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
Siwan Lovett (middle) has been calling for a review of the SWIOID. (Supplied: Lori Gould)
"The Upper Murrumbidgee often receives less than 5 per cent of the flow that it used to, so this over the years has really had a massive impact on what was once a really magnificent river," Australian River Restoration Centre managing director and Forgotten River lead Siwan Lovett said.
"This river used to be magnificent — broad and deep, with waterfalls, riffles and pools inhabited by diverse populations of native fish, birds and vegetation.
"Today this river is smothered by sand, with eroding riverbanks, declining native fish populations and a fraction of the birds, platypus, rakali and native plants it used to."
Dr Lovett welcomed the NSW government's comments on a review of the SWIOID.
"There is no 'baddie' here — just outdated governance arrangements that need to be reviewed so that the health of the river is valued as much as the energy Snowy Hydro produces," she said.
The Upper Murrumbidgee at Tharwa. (Supplied: Andy Lowes)
Review being considered
A review of the SWIOID would require agreement from the NSW, Victorian and federal governments.
A spokesperson for the federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water said the government was "supportive" of a review of the SWIOID.
"The Australian government has shared this view with the NSW Snowy Water Government Officials Committee in recent months," they said.
The Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) said it had "been approached by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment about its preliminary proposal to review the SWIOID".
"DEECA is currently seeking more detail on what would be included in the scope of the proposed review," a spokesperson said.
Snowy Hydro has previously stated that the regulation governing water allocations for the scheme is independent of it, and that the government owns the water.
"We are working closely with our shareholder, government agencies and interested stakeholders to understand what positive role Snowy Hydro can play, while also ensuring we comply with our water licence requirements," a spokesperson said in a statement.