News

Sharing Snowy Stories

19/03/2018

As Snowy Hydro embarks on an expansion of the Snowy Scheme a unique digital storybook project is underway to capture the voices and experiences of ten former workers.

Snowy Hydro and Woden Community Service have partnered on the project which sees former workers who are all in their 80s and 90s share their stories of determination, success and resilience with current and future generations.

Paul Broad, Snowy Hydro’s Chief Executive Officer, said that former Snowy Scheme workers overcame significant engineering and construction challenges to build one of the greatest and most complex hydro power systems in the world.

“It took ingenuity, dedication and hard work to build the Snowy Scheme. Our former workers are a critical part of our company’s history and strength, and capturing their stories is very important.

“We often reflect on and marvel at the achievements of the original Snowy pioneers. Today, as we’re designing and planning the Snowy 2.0 project we’re grateful to have the expert records and technical data from the workers who came before us”, Mr Broad said.

Woden Community Service in collaboration with PhotoAccess and Gen S Stories have the privilege of working with the former workers and bringing their stories to life.

Chris Redmond, CEO of Woden Community Service, said the idea for this project grew from a senior’s social group for ex-Snowy workers, set up by Woden Community Service in August 2016.

“The group is led by Sandy Van Der Toorn, our Seniors Social Group Coordinator. Sandy’s father worked on the Snowy Scheme and she has many fond memories of growing up there.

“We’re also very lucky to have the expertise of Jenni Savigny from Gen S Stories on this project. She enables people of all ages to use the medium of digital storytelling to share their story and assists them to tell it in their own voice (literally). We look forward to working with Snowy Hydro to make this project a success”, Mr Redmond said.

Snowy Hydro has provided $25,000 to fund the project which is due to be complete in the middle of this year. A formal premiere of the stories will be held in June 2018.

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

News

Visitors in Cooma ahead of drilling for Snowy 2.0 commencing

28/06/2017

The Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, Deputy Premier John Barilaro and Parliamentary Secretary Bronnie Taylor visited Cooma today ahead of investigative drilling commencing for Snowy 2.0.

Snowy Hydro Limited CEO Paul Broad and Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation (SMEC) CEO Andy Goodwin provided a Snowy 2.0 update and showcased one of the drill rigs.

Mr Broad said the investigative drilling, which is expected to commence next month after all approvals, is a critical milestone for the Snowy 2.0 feasibility study.

“The drilling will provide us with detailed geotechnical information about the rock formations, strength and structure of the area where the tunnels between the Tantangara and Talbingo reservoirs and underground power station will be located.”

“The core holes will be drilled in key locations so that we have a very clear picture of the geology and can better plan and cost the project.” Mr Broad said.

The geotechnical information collected through this process will be shared with research and education institutions for science and research purposes.

The Prime Minister, Deputy Premier and Parliamentary Secretary’s visit was also an opportunity for Snowy Hydro and SMEC to bring together their local project teams to celebrate the reopening of the SMEC office in Cooma.

SMEC’s CEO Andy Goodwin said the reopening of their Cooma office and work on the Snowy 2.0 feasibility study will continue to generate economic activity in the region.

“It’s great to be working on such a iconic hydropower project with Snowy Hydro that reflects on our namesake and history. For SMEC this is an opportunity to bring back our local people with global experience to contribute to the legacy for the next generation.

“The Feasibility Study will generate more than 250 jobs across professional services, construction and administrative support and if Snowy 2.0 goes ahead we expect to create about 5000 jobs over the life of the build,” Mr Goodwin said.

The Snowy 2.0 Feasibility Study will be completed by the end of this year.

Snowy Hydro is proud to provide secure, stable and reliable renewable energy to households and businesses. If built, Snowy 2.0 would increase the generation capacity by up to 50 per cent, making up to 2000 megawatts available to the National Electricity Market.

News

Snowy Hydro and SMEC reunite for Snowy 2.0

11/05/2017

Snowy Hydro Limited and the Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation Australia (SMEC) will join forces once again, this time to carry out the feasibility study into the potential expansion of the Snowy Scheme’s pumped hydro storage capability.

Snowy Hydro and SMEC have a long association and worked together from the earliest days to develop the iconic 4,100 megawatt (MW) Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme under the auspices of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Authority, established in 1949.

Selected through a tender competitive process which attracted interest from a field of world-class engineering firms, SMEC has now been appointed as the lead consultant engineer for the feasibility study into the first major expansion of the Scheme since construction days.

Snowy Hydro CEO Paul Broad said “SMEC was the obvious choice to partner with us on the study, given we share the same DNA. It really is a case of getting the band back together. The task now will be to bring together our best and brightest to revisit some of the visionary proposals developed over many years by the talented men and women who built the Scheme.”

The feasibility study will first review existing proposals to expand pumped hydro storage on the Snowy Scheme, many of which have existed since the 1960s. Under the most prospective proposal, up to 2,000 MW of hydro-electric energy could be added to the grid to act as rapid response back-up during periods of high demand and fill the gaps in energy supply caused by the growth in intermittent renewables and the exit of thermal baseload power.

The pumped hydro capability means the water utilised for electricity generation can be recycled to provide supply when it’s needed most, with no impact on the Scheme’s ability to continue to supply valuable water to irrigators in the food bowl of south-eastern Australia.

“This project has the potential to deliver one of the largest pumped hydro schemes in the world and underscores the importance of the Scheme’s existing role as the battery of the National Electricity Market.”

“While it has long been an Australian engineering icon, the importance of the Snowy Scheme’s role as the battery storage of the NEM will only become more critical as we move to a low carbon economy. The reliable, fast-start Scheme can help to responsibly manage the exit of baseload thermal power and the rise of intermittent renewables.

“As we move through the feasibility study phase, we will gain greater clarity around the technical and engineering requirements for the expansion as well as costs and timeframes for its construction”, Mr Broad said.

SMEC CEO Andy Goodwin said “Snowy Mountains are part of our namesake and the backbone of our heritage, so the chance to be involved in this project again is a unique ‘twice-in-a-lifetime’ opportunity, both for our organisation and those engineers who worked on the original scheme.

The Snowy 2.0 project will provide us with new design challenges from its predecessor and we’ve created a team of our most experienced specialists to deliver the feasibility stage.

We’re honoured to be part of the project and looking forward to resuming our presence within the Cooma community again.”

SMEC’s appointment will deliver significant benefits to the local Snowy Mountains community. As part of its commitment to this project, SMEC will reopen its previous offices in Cooma, which will see more than 30 staff permanently based in the town.

News

National Heritage Listing for the Snowy Scheme

14/10/2016

The Snowy Mountains Scheme has today been honoured with inclusion on the National Heritage List. As the biggest industrial development Australia has ever attempted, the Snowy Mountains Scheme changed the face of Australia.

Constructed between 1949 and 1974, the Snowy Mountains Scheme is the largest public works engineering scheme ever undertaken in Australia. Made up of 225 kilometres of tunnels, pipelines and aqueducts, sixteen major dams, nine power stations and a pumping station, the entire Scheme covers a mountainous area of 5124 square kilometres in southern New South Wales. Only two per cent of the entire construction is visible above the ground.

The Scheme’s dams, tunnels, aqueducts and power stations, including some buried deep underground, are some of the most complex and technical engineering and construction feats in the country and the world. Significant engineering advancements were achieved during the construction of the Scheme, including rockbolting and the use of 330 kV transmission lines. Remarkably, the Scheme was completed on time and on budget.

Over 100,000 people from more than 30 countries worked on the Snowy Mountains Scheme. Seventy per cent of these were migrants displaced from their homes in Europe during the Second World War. These workers and their children lived in towns and camps across the Snowy Mountains during construction. While many of these people moved on after completing their work, the Scheme still holds a special significance for workers, their descendants and the wider community as a symbol of multicultural Australia. Cooma’s annual multicultural festival continues to showcase the diversity of cultures in the region.

“The Scheme’s inclusion on the National Heritage List formalises the important chapter the Snowy Scheme has in the Australian story and cements our place in the nation’s history,” said Snowy Hydro Limited Chief Executive Officer Paul Broad.

“Snowy Hydro continues to be an important part of the social fabric of the communities we operate in and we continue to be linked with the Snowy Mountains communities that we helped build. While we have evolved to become a dynamic and growing energy company, the heart of our operations continues to be the Snowy Mountains region.”

The Snowy Mountains Scheme is an audacious and brilliant example of modern Australia—a bold idea brought to life by the hard-work of thousands of people coming to Australia from all over the world.

The Snowy Mountains Scheme remains one of Australia’s largest producers of renewable energy, including nearly a third of renewable energy fed into the eastern mainland grid, and manages water flows for over $3 billion in agricultural produce.

The Snowy Mountains Scheme is the 107th place added to Australia’s National Heritage List. For more details see www.environment.gov.au/ heritage/places/national/snowy-mountains-scheme