Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, , 8:27:03 to 8:32:54
Senator Pocock asks about the independent review of the Upper Murrumbidgee River and the implementation of environmental water release recommendations.
Topics: Water management, Snowy Hydro, Climate change
Speakers: Dr Maia Schweizer, David Pocock, Dennis Barnes, Hon Murray Watt, Unknown Speaker
>> Um, thanks for your time uh this evening. Um, I've got some questions about the independent review of the suoid. Um, I'm interested if Snowy Hydro agrees with the findings of the draft suoid
review. I mean I might pass to Dr. Schweiser for any details. Uh but we participated as fully as we could with the independent panel. Uh we have some inaccuracies and some sort of different interpretations but fundamentally we think that the report as presented uh with the appropriate implementation uh can can be achieved. So >> I don't know if Dr. Switzer has any
more. Thank you. Maya Schwitzer, chief operating officer, Snowy Hydro. I'd only add that uh as uh Mr. Barnes has said, uh we worked closely and fed information into the review. Um we have confidence that we can work together with the department on an implementation pathway that's practical and reflects the operating realities of the scheme. That's that's our focus.
>> Um let me just ask drill into that a little bit. Have has Snowy Hydro sought to have any of the draft reviews, findings, conclusions or recommendations
>> Not as such. We have continued to provide analysis about how different scenarios contemplated by the review particularly related to the release of volumes of water from Tentangra into the upper Mimbigi. Uh we've continued to undertake analysis as to the implications of those releases and given our focus really the implications for energy reliability for our ability to support contracts in the national electricity market. Um and and under those different scenarios what the potential impacts might be also potential impacts to the operation of Snowy 2.0 know when it's completed related to holding water in Tentangara Dam to facilitate those environmental releases. So I suppose um we haven't opined on the or or attempted to influence the findings other than to make available the facts and the analysis about what the imp what implications those those um measures might have on our ability to to support the energy system.
>> Okay. Thank you. And so given that you don't disagree with the recommendations, I can take it that you're happy with the recommendations and you think that they
can be implemented? um they carry I mean there's a wide range of recommendations as as I'm as I know you know um there are risks associated with some of them and we've highlighted those risks through the process um and a lot of it will come down to well for example the first recommendation relates to releasing more water to support environmental outcomes
>> well so the river doesn't die the report is very clear it's in terminal decline
>> the the releases are are targeted at environmental outcomes and um I think there's a we haven't seen the final report but based on the draft report findings or recommendations u there's a wide range of potential approaches to implementing those increased volumes um for example they could reflect the inflows that are available in a given year was it a wet year in which case more water could be made available for releases versus a dry year so there's quite a quite a bit of work I suppose still to be done to figure out exactly how those imple how those recommendations will ultimately be
>> Thank you. That's useful. But risks aside, you're confident that they can be
>> It's certainly possible to to to uh target those those releases. Um I probably don't have the expertise to comment on all of the different recommendations from the panel but the increased volumes um again as of the draft report are are physically possible. Um there was also a recommendation in the draft report again uh presuming that the final report follows the same um vein to explore physically expanding the capacity to release water from Tantangra Dam. Um, and that that I believe will be subject to a feasibility study to see what what that would actually take to make possible.
>> Okay. And so just just to confirm, you haven't sought to change any of the recommendations.
>> We've only sought to feed in information and and ensure that decision makers had a wholesome understanding of the potential impacts of of the
>> But as part of that feeding in more information, you haven't sought to change recommendations.
>> No, we respect the independence of the
describes the upper Marbiji as being in abysmal condition, uh, with the river receiving only a small fraction of its natural flows. Does Snowy Hydro accept that finding?
>> Uh, I'm afraid that's not in my area of expertise to comment on the health of the river. That's that's probably better
>> Um, do you have a sense of the timeline for the final? It's probably for the minister. Minister, when will the final report be released?
>> I'm not sure if a decision has been made about that, but um obviously later tonight we'll have officials from the water section of the department who are managing this process overall and and there may be more information we can uh relay at that point.
>> I assume it'll be decision for
>> Yeah. Yeah. And and I'm not aware of any decision being made yet about releasing that report.