High inflows to the Snowy Scheme, including the Jindabyne catchment, have been experienced since November 2021 and are continuing due to the spring snowmelt and wetter than usual weather conditions.

Based on operational forecasts, if left unmitigated, Lake Jindabyne would reach full supply level (100%) and commence spilling. To avoid uncontrolled spill, Snowy Hydro has reached agreement with NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DPE Water) to make pre-releases into the Snowy River below Jindabyne Dam from 1am Tuesday 4 October 2022.

Pre-releases will be greater than the environmental releases notified on Snowy Hydro’s website and may change at short notice in response to the weather conditions. Releases could reach flow rates up to 5,000 megalitres per day.

Snowy Hydro will continue to pump water from Jindabyne to Geehi Reservoir to be released through Murray 1 and 2 power stations into the upper Murray River at every opportunity. 

Water transfers from the Geehi catchment into Jindabyne may also be necessary at times to manage flood risks in the Geehi, Swampy Plains and Upper Murray Rivers. Further releases to the Snowy River may still be required to avoid uncontrolled releases.

If Lake Jindabyne reaches 100%, it will trigger operation of the spillway gates. Dam safety is paramount and the spillway gates will automatically release water at any time the storage reaches or exceeds 100%.

For the community the most important message is to stay safe and well informed. The public can stay updated about flood alerts here:

• Bureau of Meteorology
• NSW State Emergency Service 

For more information about releases into the Snowy River visit 

https://www.snowyhydro.com.au/generation/live-data/lake-levels/ and

https://dpie.nsw.gov.au/water/home

Snowy Hydro will continue to keep the community informed about management of water in Lake Jindabyne through its website and social media channels.

Do you have a project, activity or event that benefits the local communities of the Snowy Mountains and surrounds? You may be eligible for a Snowy Hydro community grant of up to $10,000. 

Snowy Hydro is a long-time major supporter of local people and community initiatives, with the 2022 community grants program now open for round 2 applications.

Snowy Hydro Acting CEO Roger Whitby said the company was pleased to provide grant funding opportunities to local not-for-profit organisations.

“We are proud to be a part of our local communities and want to support the great ideas and energy of people contributing positively to them.

“Our grants are available for projects and events that align with Snowy Hydro’s four social commitment pillars of education and development, health and wellbeing, regional capacity building and environment.”

In the first round of Snowy Hydro’s Community Grants Program earlier this year, there were more than 30 grant applications, with 13 receiving funding. Projects and initiatives that were supported included a Cooma Landcare rehabilitation project, establishment of an indigenous interpretive walking trail in Tumbarumba, and the Hume & Hovell ultra marathon event through Corryong and Khancoban.

Mr Whitby encouraged community members to find out more about the community grants program. “If you have an event or initiative that may be eligible for support, I encourage you to apply,” he said.

All applications must be received via the online form on our website. Please also carefully review associated information about grants eligibility, assessment criteria and Snowy Hydro’s  grant guidelines before applying, to avoid disappointment.

Importantly, the location of the event/initiative must be within the Snowy Monaro Regional and Snowy Valleys council areas, or in Corryong, Victoria.

Applications for round 2 of the Snowy Hydro Community Grants Program must be received by Saturday 15 October. Following the evaluation period, applicants will be advised of the outcome by 30 November 2022.

Paul Broad, Managing Director and CEO of Snowy Hydro, has offered his resignation.

For more than 70 years Snowy Hydro’s success has been founded on strong and stable leadership. Paul Broad is no exception to that rule.

Since 2013, Paul has led organisational expansion and innovation, transforming Snowy Hydro into a dynamic and integrated energy business. 

Externally Paul is best known by the Australian public for his leadership on Snowy 2.0 and leading Snowy Hydro’s expansion into retail and renewable energy. 

Snowy 2.0 is a nation-defining and world-leading infrastructure project. It will underpin the transition to a decarbonised National Electricity Market and now employs more than 2,000 people, generating huge economic uplift in the Snowy Mountains. 

Under Paul’s leadership, the first Snowy Hydro renewable energy procurement program began in 2018 and has grown to encompass 12 contracts with wind and solar projects totalling 1.3 gigawatts of energy generation. 

For the local community and Snowy Hydro team, Paul will remain best-known for his extraordinary leadership during incredibly challenging periods, including the 2019/2020 bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Paul’s firm commitment to the safety, health and well-being of the Snowy Hydro family will remain a cornerstone of his legacy. 

The Snowy Board will now commence a process to identify new leadership. Roger Whitby, Chief Operating Officer, will lead the organisation on an interim basis, with support from Paul to facilitate a smooth transition. 

Calling all year 5-12 school students in the Snowy Mountains! 

Before Snowy Hydro’s newest tunnel boring machines (TBMs) start digging the Snowy 2.0 tunnels, they need to have names – and we want school students in the Snowy Monaro Regional Council and Snowy Valleys Council areas, and the Corryong township, to come up with their best STEM-related suggestions as part of our TBM Naming Competition.  

There are two TBMs to be named, with the first Snowy 2.0 TBM already titled the Lady Eileen Hudson, in honour of original Snowy Scheme ambassador and the wife of inaugural Commissioner, Sir William Hudson.

TBMs are always given female names, a tradition stemming from the 1600s when miners working underground prayed to Saint Barbara for protection.

To be a part of the Snowy 2.0 TBM Naming Competition, students should nominate a ground-breaking or inspiring Australian woman in STEM and explain their choice in 200 words or less. The students whose shortlisted names gain the most public votes are the winners.

Snowy Hydro managing director and CEO Paul Broad said the competition was a fun way to spark children’s interest in the fields of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

“We see our local kids as the future – the next generation of engineers, scientists and innovators at Snowy Hydro,” Mr Broad said. 

“Snowy 2.0 is a nationally-important infrastructure and engineering project right here in the Snowy Mountains, so the chance to name one of our massive, 11-metre tunnel boring machines is an exciting opportunity. I encourage local students to get involved in the competition.”

To enter the Snowy 2.0 TBM Naming Competition, local students in years 5-12 should:

• Complete the entry form on the Snowy Hydro website by 11.59pm Sunday 23 May 2021.
• Nominate a TBM name inspired by a ground-breaking Australian woman in STEM and the reason for your choice (up to 200 words) on the competition webpage. 
• Provide your parent or guardian’s name, email and street address and phone number so you can be contacted if your nomination is shortlisted for the community online vote.

Snowy Hydro will choose a shortlist from the names suggested by students for a public, online vote in June – keep an eye on Snowy Hydro’s social media channels and the Snowy Hydro website for details.

The two most popular names, as voted by the public, will be used to identify the Snowy 2.0 TBMs and the students who nominated them will receive a visit to the Snowy 2.0 construction site to see a TBM before it goes underground, plus a VIP experience at the Snowy Hydro Discovery Centre in Cooma. 

The Snowy 2.0 project is a nationally-significant renewable energy project that will provide 2,000 megawatts of on-demand energy and large-scale storage, underpinning Australia’s transition to a low-carbon economy.

Together, the three Snowy 2.0 tunnel boring machines will excavate 27km of tunnels linking Tantangara and Talbingo dams, with a pumped-hydro power station to be built 800 metres below ground.

To enter, and for competition T&Cs, visit the competition page at snowyhydro.com.au