News

COMMUNITY CELEBRATES STARS FOUNDATION LAUNCH IN TUMUT

13/03/2024

A community open day has been held at Tumut High School to celebrate the official launch of the inaugural Stars Foundation Tumut Program, sponsored by Snowy Hydro.

Students, parents, community members and local Indigenous Elders attended the Tuesday 12 March event, along with representatives from the Stars Foundation, Tumut High School, Department of Regional NSW, Snowy Valleys Council and Snowy Hydro.

The partnership will provide long-term improved health, education and employment outcomes for Indigenous girls and young women from Tumut and the surrounding region.

Snowy Hydro CEO Dennis Barnes said the company’s three-year sponsorship for the Stars Foundation Tumut Program continued Snowy’s commitment to initiatives that supported young people’s education and wellbeing.

“There are 39 students involved in the first year of the Stars Foundation Tumut Program and we look forward to engaging with these inspiring young women in a variety of ways, including encouraging their studies in science, technology engineering and maths (STEM) fields.

“We’re keen to highlight the many career pathways with Snowy through work experience, apprenticeships and traineeships.

“Snowy Hydro is a major local employer in the Snowy Mountains region and we are committed to supporting and investing in the success of local people.”
Founder and CEO of Stars Foundation, Andrea Goddard, said: “Stars is delighted to be working with the Tumut community and we welcome the opportunity to support and empower the First Nations Tumut students to identify their goals and reach their full potential.
“We are very grateful for the commitment from Snowy Hydro to enable us to establish this new Stars program for the Tumut community.”
Established in 2015, the Stars Foundation provides a holistic, intensive, full-time mentoring program that supports and empowers more than 3,020 female Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls and young women in primary and secondary schools across six states and territories.

News

SNOWY HYDRO AND RED ENERGY SPONSOR KEEP AUSTRALIA BEAUTIFUL AWARDS

22/08/2023

Snowy Hydro and Red Energy are proud to announce the sponsorship of the Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation category in the Keep Australia Beautiful NSW Tidy Towns & Sustainable Cities Awards.

Keep Australia Beautiful NSW is a national non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting litter prevention, environmental sustainability and community engagement.

Snowy Hydro CEO Dennis Barnes said the company’s sponsorship of the KAB NSW Tidy Towns & Sustainable Cities Awards would help increase awareness about how Snowy is supporting the transition to renewables in Australia.

“We are proud to have lived, breathed and delivered renewable energy to Australians through the mighty Snowy Scheme for generations,” Dennis said. “We are committed to continuing this legacy and enhancing it.

“The combined Red Energy and Snowy Hydro support for the KAB partnership continues our consistent commitment to sustainability and the communities in which we live and work.”

Through its programs and campaigns, Keep Australia Beautiful NSW inspires individuals and communities to take action in preserving and enhancing the natural and built environments.

The Keep Australia Beautiful NSW Tidy Towns & Sustainable Cities Awards celebrate the achievements of communities that demonstrate outstanding environmental practices, social inclusivity, and economic viability. By sponsoring the Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation category, Snowy Hydro and Red Energy aim to encourage and motivate communities to take proactive measures towards climate resilience and a clean energy future.

This category focuses on recognising and rewarding local initiatives that address the challenges posed by climate change. These include the involvement of government and non-government organisations, community groups, businesses, schools, and individuals across NSW focusing on projects like renewable energy, enabling communities to adapt to a changing climate, and community engagement.
For more information about the Keep Australia Beautiful NSW Awards and the Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation category, please visit KAB NSW Sustainability Awards website.

News

SNOWY HYDRO SPONSORS TRADE DAY FOR YOUNG WOMEN

14/08/2023

Energised by electricity? Handy with a hammer? Nimble with numbers? Women keen to pick up the tools can find out more about an exciting new career at a trade day in Corryong sponsored by the Snowy Hydro Community Grants Program.

Hosted by Empowered Women in Trades (EWIT), the Tool Skills Day on Thursday 7 September aims to inspire local high school and TAFE students and other young women in Corryong to learn a skilled trade in the disciplines of civil, electrical and mechanical.

EWIT was one of 20 successful applicants receiving a total of $143,000 in funding from round one of the 2023 Snowy Hydro Community Grants. The highly successful program offers grants of up to $10,000 to support projects, festivals, events and initiatives which benefit the local communities of the Snowy Mountains and surrounds.

The EWIT proposal for a Tool Skills Day aimed at young women strongly aligns with Snowy Hydro’s community commitment pillar of education and development.

Snowy Hydro CEO Dennis Barnes said fostering education opportunities and career pathways for local young people was a key focus for the company.

“We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce and we are keen to encourage young women into non-traditional roles like trades,” Dennis said. “At Snowy, we have a range of entry-level programs that provide a fantastic opportunity to get local young people straight from the classroom into an energising and practical career.

“We are very pleased to be supporting the EWIT Tools Skills Day at Corryong – where many of our Murray region staff live – through the Snowy Hydro Community Grants Program.”

The Tool Skills Day will be held in Corryong from 9.30am – 2.30pm on 7 September 2023. There will be hands-on EWIT workshops, an exploration of trades-based career pathways, the opportunity to chat one-on-one with ‘tradie ladies’ and more.

Young local women interested in attending this fun, interactive event can register on the EWIT website. Places are limited, so get in quickly.

Local organisations can apply for funding from round two of the 2023 Snowy Hydro Community Grants Program. Applications open this month and must be submitted online via the Snowy Hydro website by 8 September.

All applications will be assessed against the program’s grants criteria – there is more information available on the website.

Your proposed project or event must respond to a community need, provide tangible benefits to the community, strengthen the community by providing opportunities that align with Snowy Hydro’s community commitment pillars, demonstrate strong governance, foster strong and sustainable partnerships within the community and return value for investment.

**EWIT is an organisation that champions tradeswomen, diversity and gender equality. Its mission is to transform the trades industry by empowering women and fostering a culture of inclusivity. EWIT works with education institutions and industry leaders to increase women’s participation in trades, provide opportunities for them to learn trade skills and assist them to thrive in the workforce.

News

STUDENTS FLOCK TO COUNTRY UNIVERSITIES CENTRES

30/11/2022

New data from the 2021 census has revealed that Country Universities Centres (CUCs) are leading the way in university student growth across regional NSW.

Over the past five years, university student numbers in NSW towns with CUCs grew by 24.7% compared with an average 5.4% for all non-metropolitan areas.

Snowy Hydro co-founded the very first CUC in Cooma in 2013 and remains an integral supporter of the higher education centre by jointly funding it together with Snowy Monaro Regional Council.

The CUC initiative enables regional and rural university students to study close to home in a campus-like environment with learning facilities, technology including access to computers, wifi, printers, video conferencing and support staff.

Snowy Hydro Acting CEO Roger Whitby said the long-running Cooma CUC partnership continues to be highly successful.

“CUCs are helping to stop the brain drain – they allow regional students to stay in their communities, have access to tertiary education in a supportive environment and ultimately provide local employers, including Snowy Hydro, with qualified workers,” Mr Whitby said.

“Typically there is a high drop-out rate with people studying online courses because they can feel isolated, so the CUC offers real benefits.”

Cooma has seen a university student increase of 64% over the last two census periods (2011-2021), compared with an average 17.5% for non-metro NSW.

Following the success of the Cooma CUC pilot, a further five centres opened in Broken Hill, Goulburn, Grafton, Griffith/Leeton and Narrabri/Moree in 2018-19.

The network of centres has since grown to 20 regional communities across NSW, Queensland and Victoria with the additional support of the NSW Government and the Australian Government’s Department of Education, Skills and Employment through the Regional University Centres program.

Find out more about Snowy Hydro’s partnership with Country Universities Centre: https://www.snowyhydro.com.au/ourpartners/country-universities-centre/

Students studying at university by locality

Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census data

CUC locations and year of opening	Increase 2011-2021	Increase 2016-2021
Cooma (2013)	* 64.1%
Broken Hill (2018)		22.8%
Goulburn (2018)		18.4%
Grafton (2019)		32.3%
Griffith and Leeton (2019)		33.8%
Narrabri and Moree (2019)		16.0%
CUC centre average increase		24.7%
NSW university students – non-metro	17.5%	5.4%

*Only the Cooma CUC was operating during the 2016 Census.

News

SNOWY HYDRO JOINS WITH COMMUNITY TO CELEBRATE 50th BIRTHDAY FOR TUMUT 3 POWER STATION

05/11/2022

Large crowds have turned out for a community open day and 50th birthday celebrations for the largest of the mighty Snowy Scheme’s power stations, Tumut 3, at Talbingo.

With the iconic white penstocks as backdrop, local community members and visitors today joined Snowy Hydro in acknowledging the remarkable role the Tumut 3 Power Station has played providing critical energy supply and water services to eastern Australia since 1972.

Snowy Hydro acting CEO Roger Whitby said Tumut 3 was the first and biggest pumped-hydro facility in Australia.

“The Snowy Scheme’s fast start, reliable clean energy generation keeps the lights on – literally – for millions of people and our pumped-hydro capability here at T3 is integral to this,” Mr Whitby said. “We generate at peak periods or when there is a shortfall of other energy sources, and pump when demand and wholesale energy prices are low, reusing and recycling the water.

“Tumut 3 Power Station has been operating reliably and safely for 50 years, with decades more service to come.

“The longevity of this asset is testament to its quality design, engineering, construction and maintenance. I would like to thank and express my appreciation to those who have played a part in Tumut 3’s history, especially those former workers who have attended the event today.”

Mr Whitby, along with the Member for Wagga Wagga Dr Joe McGirr and Snowy Valleys Council Mayor Ian Chaffey, led the official proceedings at the community open day.

Visitors to the event enjoyed a range of activities including power station tours, bus tours of the reservoir and penstocks, live music, food vendors, and activities for the kids from Snowy Hydro’s Next Generation Education Hub and the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Tumut 3 Power Station facts

T3 is the largest power station in the Snowy Scheme and the first pumped-hydro facility in Australia.
The station has a total generating capacity of 1,800MW. That is enough electricity to power more than half a million homes.
Three of the six units are capable of both generating and pumping, meaning that we can recycle water between Jounama Pondage and Talbingo Reservoir.
Each of the penstocks are 488m long and 5.6m in diameter.
They are full all of the time, holding over 12,000 tonnes of water.
If all three pumps are running, water from Jounama Pondage is pumped at a rate of 297 cubic metres per second.
Talbingo Dam was completed in 1970 – the dam height is 161 metres.
Talbingo Reservoir’s gross capacity is 921,400,000m3, which is almost twice the size of Sydney Harbour.

News

TUMUT 3 POWER STATION OPEN DAY – REGISTER NOW

04/10/2022

It’s Tumut 3 Power Station’s 50th birthday and to mark the occasion, Snowy Hydro is celebrating with a community open day on Saturday 5 November!

We have a wide range of activities, tours and information sessions planned onsite at Tumut 3 (T3) in Talbingo, so register now – it’s easy, just visit our website and complete the online form.

Acting Snowy Hydro CEO Roger Whitby said the iconic white penstocks of T3 were known throughout Australia and a visit to the station would provide the public with an insight into Snowy Hydro’s operations.

“We are delighted to welcome the community to an open day at T3, which is the largest power station in the Snowy Scheme and the first and biggest pumped-hydro facility in Australia,” Mr Whitby said.

“We’re celebrating the station’s 50th birthday, which underlines the longevity and critical nature of the Snowy Scheme hydro generation and storage assets.

“We understand visiting T3 would be a major highlight for many people so we’re asking that everyone who intends to come along on Saturday 5 November registers online.

“They will be contacted with important information prior to the event.”

Once you have registered for the Tumut 3 Power Station 50th celebration and open day, please plan your trip, as parking for private vehicles will be limited. There will also be bus transport available, with coaches departing from Tumut and Cooma on the day.

Open day highlights:

Tours of Tumut 3 Power Station
Bus tours to Talbingo Reservoir and the top of Tumut 3 penstocks.
Fun and educational activities hosted by the Snowy Hydro Next Generation education program.
Local vendors will provide food and coffee throughout the festivities.
A range of activities and entertainment are also planned for the celebrations.

Keep checking the official event web page, which will be progressively updated with information and stay tuned to Snowy Hydro’s social media channels.

News

DRIVING HOME ROAD SAFETY TO THE NEXT GENERATION

13/05/2022

Snowy Hydro is committed to ensuring the next generation of locals are equipped with the skills and knowledge to help keep them safe on the roads, with the long-running Young Driver Program playing a crucial role.

For four years Snowy Hydro has partnered with Driving Solutions to provide local students with young driver training. This month more than 275 local young people participated in the program, which helps prepare Learner and Provisional drivers for the driving conditions they face on Snowy Mountains roads.

Since its inception in 2002, the Snowy Hydro Young Driver Program has provided more than 1,600 local students with the opportunity to improve their driving skills and become safer drivers.

Snowy Hydro CEO and Managing Director Paul Broad said the program demonstrated Snowy Hydro’s continued commitment to the safety and well-being of young people living in the Snowy Mountains region.

“The Snowy Hydro Young Driver Program delivers learning exercises and activities that give our local kids the skills and knowledge to help keep them safe on our unique and at times, challenging, mountain roads,” Mr Broad said.

“These young and inexperienced drivers gain so much from the program – it’s really valuable and we at Snowy Hydro are proud to play a part in ensuring greater safety on the roads where we live and work.”

The program covered topics such as correct seating position and the importance of understanding the difference between vehicles with anti-lock brake systems (ABS) and vehicles without ABS. Students were taught when to fit snow chains on their vehicles while travelling in snow and ice conditions. They were also shown the correct way to use and fit snow chains on a vehicle.
The activities and exercises provided useful and practical knowledge to assist the students when behind the wheel. Topics included driver attitudes and the effects of distractions when driving, such as mobile phones, passengers and vehicle navigation. Other practical skills were also discussed including how to understand correct and incorrect tyre pressure on their vehicles.

News

LAUNCH OF THE SNOWY 2.0 VIRTUAL TOUR

31/01/2022

Snowy Hydro has launched a Snowy 2.0 virtual tour, to provide the public with a ‘window’ into the pumped-hydro megaproject’s key construction sites.

The virtual tour is a web-based platform and is fully optimised for mobile phones – no app download is required.

People can check out the action, world-class engineering and construction progress through the interactive website application, 3D animations, 360 degree panoramic images and unique video content.

Snowy Hydro Managing Director and CEO, Paul Broad, said the virtual tour gave viewers a bird’s eye view of Australia’s largest renewable energy project being built in a remote part of the Snowy Mountains.

“You can navigate your own way around the various sites and simply click on the blue information dots to read about the latest Snowy 2.0 construction activities and see all three of the tunnel boring machines,” Mr Broad said.

“It’s a great tool to raise awareness and knowledge of the project among the community and to share the many construction milestones we are achieving together with our principal contractor, Future Generation Joint Venture.”

The Snowy 2.0 virtual tour has been built using the Esri online mapping application ArcGIS, which gives users access to incredibly accurate spatial data and imagery for both desktop and mobile use.

Take the Snowy 2.0 virtual tour here: https://snowy2tour.snowyhydro.com.au/

Snowy 2.0 project background: Snowy 2.0 will link two existing Snowy Scheme reservoirs, Tantangara and Talbingo, with 27km of waterway tunnels and a power station with six pump-turbines located about 800m underground. Water in the top storage will be released for energy generation at times of peak demand and pumped back at times when there is excess energy in the grid, so Snowy 2.0 is ready to meet demand when needed.

Snowy 2.o will provide 2,000 megawatts of pumping and generating capacity and 350,000 megawatt hours of storage that will underpin Australia’s transition to a renewable energy future.
For more information about the Snowy 2.0 project, visit snowyhydro.com.au

News

National Science Week Winners

31/10/2017

After much deliberation from the judging panel, ten winners of the ‘Science of the Snowy’ competition were announced today.

The winners came from schools across the Snowy Mountains. The calibre and creativity of entries greatly impressed the judging panel which included the Hon Mike Kelly Member for Eden Monaro, Carolyn Ewart, from Country Universities Centre, and Tumut radio personality David Eisenhauer.

Chief Executive Officer, Paul Broad, said it was fantastic to see local children so engaged in science and technology. With more than 40 entries from Batlow to Bombala, the judges had a very tough job selecting the winners.

“Snowy Hydro is a modern and growing business. While some parts of the Scheme are more than 60 years old, we’re constantly upgrading our assets and integrating the latest technology into our operations.

“The level of research and effort that went into the entries shows we have many budding scientists and engineers in our local community.

“It’s great to see curious,young minds and I hope to see some of their names pop up on applications for jobs at Snowy Hydro in the years to come”, Mr Broad said.

Recognition and thanks must go to our judging panel and all the teachers that encouraged their students to enter the competition.

Competition winners: Jamie Jessup, Jackson Trellis, Ashley Lloyd, Dakota Simpson,
Hayley Bell, Sophie Wood, Courtney Bennett, Bridie Hampshire and Tye Gulliford.

Along with the 9 students, the judges also selected the entry from the Batlow Technology School to round out the winners.

Highly commended entries Brandy Cotty, Luke Jones, Taya Douch, Lily Edgecombe, Jemima Merritt, Finn Sullivan and Rachael Babidge.

The ‘Science of the Snowy Competition’ was launched as part of Snowy Hydro’s National Science Week Celebrations. To enter students in years 3-6 in the Snowy Mountains area shared their favorite favourite science, engineering, or technology fact about the Snowy Scheme.

The winners will receive a behind the scenes tour of the Snowy Scheme. Both winning and highly commended entries will be displayed in the Snowy Hydro Discovery Centre in Cooma.

News

National Science Week Competition

14/08/2017

‘The Science of Snowy’

As part of National Science Week this year, Snowy Hydro is running a ‘Science of the Snowy’ competition for Snowy Mountains students in years 3-6.

Paul Broad, Chief Executive Officer, said that National Science Week was a great opportunity for students to learn more about the science and engineering aspects of the Snowy Scheme.

“The construction of the Snowy Scheme was one of the civil engineering wonders of the modern world and from our pioneering past, we have grown into a modern and innovative energy company,” Mr Broad said.

To enter the competition just tell us your favourite science, technology or engineering fact about the Snowy Scheme. Your entry can be in words, pictures, a drawing or even a video.

Mr Broad said his favourite fact is that the Snowy Scheme acts like Australia’s biggest battery.

“While the Snowy Scheme may not look like a typical battery, it acts just like one. In the same way as a battery stores energy, the Snowy Scheme stores water which can be quickly used to create energy when it’s needed”, Mr Broad said.

Each winner will get two tickets to a VIP tour of the Snowy Scheme (including a power station) with some of Snowy Hydro’s very own scientists and engineers.

All winning and highly commended entries will also be displayed in the Snowy Hydro Discovery Centre in Cooma.

The competition is open to students at schools within the Snowy Valleys Council and Snowy Monaro Regional Council regions and in years 3-6.

The ‘Science of the Snowy’ competition opens on 14 August 2017 and closes at 5pm on 22 September 2017. An independent panel of judges will select the winners, with the panel to be announced shortly.

For more information on how to enter and some Snowy Hydro topic ideas visit our NSWk competition page here

News

A Powerful Partnership – L’Etape Australia & Snowy Hydro

10/08/2017

For a second year Snowy Hydro is ready to ride, signing on as a major partner of the L’Étape Australia official Tour de France event.

The L’Étape Australia event will be held on Saturday 2rd of December, and will see thousands of amateur cyclists from across Australia face the challenging L’Etape course through the mountainous roads of the Snowy Mountains.

Mr Paul Broad, CEO of Snowy Hydro said he was proud that the company would be part of such a great event again this year.

“Events like L’Étape bring thousands of people to the region and generate significant economic activity for many local businesses.

“L’Etape is great for our local communities and it is also a great fit for Snowy Hydro because we recognise the importance of participation, health and wellbeing. The Company is committed to supporting our staff providing access to a variety of initiatives from yoga and fitness to mental health programs.

“When it comes to fitness L’Etape is the ultimate challenge so we are thrilled to have several Snowy Hydro teams competing in this year’s event and we are extremely pleased with our involvement with L’Etape as it brings so much to our local communities”, Mr Broad said.

L’Etape provides amateur riders with the unique opportunity to ride in full Tour de France conditions, with fully closed roads and a choice of two challenging options – the 157km ‘Race’ or the 126km ‘Ride’. Both routes will test riders strength and endurance particularly the Col de Beloka and the Col de Kosciuszko which will challenge even the fittest of competitors.

Tour de France reigning champion Chris Froome will be onsite to hold clinics, share his knowledge in riding and racing with the amateurs, and he will ride in L’Étape Australia from the back of the pack to the front. Adding to the Tour de France atmosphere, genuine Tour de France yellow, polka dot and green jerseys will be awarded to winners for both men and women.

The L’Etape route, starting at Bullocks Flat on the Alpine Way will pass through the towns of Jindabyne, Berridale and Dalgety. Locals will again get into the L’Etape spirit by creating cycling inspired artworks along the course and cheering riders as they pass. A local community course artwork competition, sponsored by Snowy Hydro, will be part of this year’s event, with great prizes to be awarded to the best creations.

The heart of the event will be the L’Etape Australia Village at Bullock’s Flat which will be hosted by Snowy Hydro as part of its sponsorship agreement. The Village will be the social, administrative and commercial heart of the event.

For more information about L’Etape: info@letapeaustralia.com.au or to register go to: https://letapeaustralia.com/
For Snowy Hydro enquiries: Neil Thew 0428 400 848 or email community@snowyhydro.com.au